Broken Chains
by Doll-Fin-Chick
Summary: COMPLETE***Sequel to Chains- SasuHina- Trouble abounds as we follow our heroine in to darker times where she learns what it is really like to love. Can she ever really forget the Raven though? And does Itachi think of Hinata and Sasuke togeher?
1. Shock

**A/N:** This is the sequel to Chains. If you haven't read it already, then please do so. If you don't want to, just read the prologue.

To all my returning fans, Welcome back! Skip the prologue if you want to.

Remember to check out the Updates part of my bio. R&R

DDEC

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Chapter One- Prologue and Shock**

**

* * *

**

**PROLOUGE**

Hinata had been kidnapped as part of a plan to end a war between The Leaf and Cloud Villages. Sasuke as "The Raven" was the one who carried it out. During their time together they fell in love, though Hinata didn't know her love's name, or even what he looked like. After a memorable night, and after she'd been rescued by her friends and family, Hinata discovers that she is pregnant. "The Raven" is long gone and her heart is broken. Neji vows to kill the man who did this to her. And she'd do anything to stop him...And get her love back...

_We left off with Sasuke fainting, after he'd found out that Hinata is pregnant, with his child..._

* * *

**SHOCK**

Sakura and Naruto were stunned. As Sasuke's body hit the pavement, they could do no more than stare. Who could have believed that Sasuke _THE Sasuke Uchiha_, would, no, _could, _faint?

Sakura snapped out of it first. Her training as a medic nin kicked in and she dropped beside her former teammate to check his pulse. Naruto just stared, with his mouth open. Sasuke began to stir, and Sakura pushed him down as he tried to get up. "Hey! You just passed out on us you know! You can't get up yet!"

"I'm fine..." he muttered. His eyes were wide and both could see a flash of panic before his customary scowl took its place, "Let me up. I'm **_fine._**" He shoved Sakura's restraining hands off and got to his feet, glowering at them. He'd never admit it, but he was very embarrassed about the whole thing. He just wanted to leave and go home. He had a lot to think about _Hinata..._

"Like Hell you are!" Naruto said, "I have never seen you just...pass out like that before, are you sick or something? Hey, Sakura, he _does_ look kind of sick, now that I think about it."

"Hmm. Yeah, Sasuke you're awfully pale. Do you want us to take you home?"

"I don't need your help to walk!" he snapped. And turned heading toward his ancestral home.

Sakura and Naruto watched him leave.

"How rude."

"Well, you know Sasuke..."

"Hey umm Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"Didn't Sasuke ask about Hinata-chan?"

"Yeah...He fainted right after I said she was pregnant..." her voice trailed off significantly, "You don't think...?"

Naruto turned red, "Uh, well, I. No, I don't think he ever spent much time with her and, uh..."

They avoided each other's's gaze. Both had turned tomato red.

"Oh we're gonna be late to that movie!"

"Huh? Oh yeah! C'mon Sakura-chan!" Naruto grabbed her hand and took off running. Sakura had to stifle he giggles. He would do anything to avoid such a subject!

* * *

Sasuke walked as if in a dream. 

_Hinata...is pregnant. With MY kid?_

He still couldn't quite grasp it.

He hadn't foreseen the effects his actions would have. How could he have known? He groaned. Hinata didn't even know it was him! This would mess up his chances at making her fall in love with him...the father of her child!

This was bad, he'd decided to give up "The Raven" persona. And now...

He barely registered opening his door. He walked to the couch and collapsed on it, staring through the wall.

He _could_, try to return to her as The Raven, but that wouldn't help. He wanted her to fall in love with _him_, Sasuke, not him, The Raven. They were almost two people. The things Sasuke did as The Raven he'd never dream of doing as himself. And somethings Sasuke did, The Raven would never do, or care about.

Like, how Sasuke was planning to kill Itachi, something The Raven wasn't interested in. Itachi and the rest of the Akatsuki members.

That was another problem.

Could he afford to capture Hinata's heart? He had unfinished business. And it wouldn't be smart to put her in harm's way.

It was a struggle.

Between what he _wanted_, and what he knew was _right._

He decided to sleep on it, and check out Hinata in the morning. He'd have to be careful though. Because as much as he wanted to run to her and kiss her until they were both breathless, he would never be able to without exposing who he was.

Tomorrow would be quite interesting.

* * *

Once again Tenchi found himself to be furious.

Hinata had slipped form his grasp. And now, she had moved out of her family's compound. Hiashi had informed him that there was no question of the marriage to be held anytime soon. They had to see how Hinata was going to recover, but so far, he had had no word about her. She was slipping further away from him with each passing day. He was going to lose her

And Tenchi hated to lose.

* * *

"Hmmm."

"W-what is i-it Tsunade-sama?"

They were at the hospital, Hinata was getting a check-up. Her second one. She was still sad every time she went. How she wished the father could be there holding her hand...Blinking back tears, she focused on Tsunade's answer.

Tsunade looked up with a frown, (she didn't seem to notice the distraught girl's watery eyes) from a readout of Hinata's testing results, "Well nothing really, Hinata-chan. But I think you'll be surprised to learn that you are going to have twins."

Hinata's mouth dropped open.

"I w-what?"

Tsunade smiled sadly _she really shouldn't have to be the one with all the problems. She's been through so much._

Once Tsunade had found out about Hinata's pregnancy, the first thing she'd asked was whether or not Hinata wanted to go through with it. An abortion at that point wouldn't have hurt her. And her body was strong enough. But her vehement denial, had been enough to convince her. She didn't want to kill the child she had said, but Tsunade felt that there was something more...

"Yes, twins," she sighed leaning up against the wall and crossing her arms, "It is still too early to tell what sex they are. Come back in a few weeks for another check-up. Although I'm sure you could get your sister or cousin to check for you...Anyway, you are perfectly healthy, and you are progressing nicely.

Hinata nodded, still a little stunned.

Tsunade smiled,"I'll see you soon then, I have to get going. Stop by anytime you want to."

With that she left.

Hinata dressed in a sort of fog. She was still so shocked, and at the same time esctatic. She knew that The Raven would never return for her, but she'd treasured dreams of raising his child, and somehow meeting, years later...Now she was going to have two...

It was an awful lot to take in.

_I don't think I'll tell Neji just yet..._

* * *

**_A/N: _ **Okidoki. I decided to put this out a little early, cuz of all the awesome reviews I KEEP getting for Chains. Please review and tell me what you think! I'll be waiting for, umm, at least ten reviews. Oh and if you want an idea about when I am gonna update check out my bio page, under updates. I got the idea from tranquilwriter (who I haven't got a hope of competing with, I know some of you read Possesion, and The Final Lullaby, cuz you review for her and I do too! Isn't she awesome?!)

Ciao

DDEC


	2. Begin Again

**A/N:** Hey! I'm back with the next chapter of Broken Chains! Remember to check under Updates on my bio for when the next update will be. I try to update once a week or thereabouts. I'm sorry for the long wait for this chapter...I had midterms at school and I had completely forgotten about them! I had to cram, and yet, somehow, I got an "A" on everything! (hugs self) Go DDEC!

DDEC

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**Chapter Two- Begin Again

* * *

**Hinata returned to her job at the hospital a very happy woman.

Everybody was relieved to see her up and about again. Neji however was not too happy with the latest news...

* * *

"TWINS?!?!?!" 

Hinata sighed and tried to forget where they were. A restraunt with Neji with lots of witnesses listening to Neji's every word...She had hoped that buying him dinner might soften him up a bit. She was obviously in the wrong.

"THAT BASTARD!!!! I'LL KILL HIM!"

A waitress walking by their table jumped and dropped a whole platter of dishes which broke with a crash. She glared reproachfully at them and Hinata winced. The other patrons in the place looked over curiously. Her cheeks redened and she looked down at the table top. Concentrating on the pattern and her empty plate.

"W-wasn't that a-already the p-p-plan?"

He blinked and looked at her. Well of course it was! But now he had even more of a reason to do so. Hanabi might be thrilled with Hinata's pregnancy but Hiashi and Neji weren't. Twins were hard to raise by yourself. She would have plenty of money, but even so...

"Errr."

"C'mon l-lets go niisan."

She stood up and threw some money on the table. She then grabbed his hand and hightailed it out of there. As she passed one table she heard some one whisper, "Must be a jealous boyfriend." Hinata resisted the urge to giggle. Poor Neji.

It was a warm summer evening and it was a bit humid outside as they walked towards Hinata's apartment. It was a few days since the news, and Hinata seemed to appreciate nature more and more now that she knew she was to be a mother.

She kept thinking about how she was going to show her children the world. Every flower, tree, and animal. She wanted to show them how beautiful life could be. Her only worry was her children's father.

She knew it was silly, completely irrational and yet, she wanted The Raven to see them, watch them grow up, share the experience. She knew she'd never see him again. The love of her life was gone. He had left her alone. All alone.

* * *

**The Next Day...**

Sasuke woke up with a headache.

Every noise seemed to be much louder than normal. He could hear the leaky faucet in his shower dripping. The plinks just seemed to exacerbate his tender head.

_Why the fuck does my head hurt so damn much?!_

Groaning he rolled over and pulled the covers up over his head.

_Thats right. Sake..._

He'd gotten drunk. He had found it entirely too difficult to fall asleep with thoughts of Hinata swirling in his head. So he decided to have a drink to relax. Then another. And another.

He groaned again, as a familiar wave of nausea hit him. Quickly he got out of bed and ran towards the bathroom. Emptying his stomach in to the welcoming porclain bowl.

After the heaves subsided, he made his way to the kitchen. Flinching out of the way of the sunny window, he got out a number of items from his refridgerator. Many things would have raised a few eyebrows and the rest would certainly have turned weak stomachs. He mixed it all together, gimacing at the final product, and pinching his nose, downed the whole concoction.

An hour or so later had him feeling immeasurably better.

_Time to go find Hinata._

* * *

**A/N: **I know its kinda short but I promise more in the future. Okay, you know the drill, drop some lovely reviews in my review bin, just click the little button. Remember more reviews means a happier DDEC and a happier DDEC updates sooner! I want at least 10 reviews before I update, although I will still set a date on my profile! I'm gonna start being harder on you guys! 

Ja ne!

DDEC

**To my reviewers**

**harley944 **Aww thanks so much. Welcome back. I was sorry to see you didn't review more for chains...I hope you do for this fic. Lotsa reviews make me feel like updating sooner ya know!

**STEVEO 352** Thank you for the review! Even one word reviews make me happy.

**ShadowRonin** Ah, long time no see! Welcome back. Thanks again for reviewing. Oh and don't worry our Dark Hero will probably get his happy ending.

**Narutoavrillavignefan** Cool! Another fan...Thank you soooo much for the review, I'm glad you're gonna stick with this!

**Hitenisababe **Welcome back! And thanks ever so much for the title idea. I told you all I would not leave you hanging!**  
**

**missmimi123** Thanks! I can hardly wait for myself to update, I just love getting reviews.

**tomboyhinata** Hi welcome back!

**Zahrah21** Thanks, I'm glad people seem to like Chains, I hope the sequel has a lot more success.

**baby blues jaded** Nice name. And I'm glad you loved it. I try to update at least once a week, just so you know.

**DeadCuteSpirit** LOL thats okay! At least you reviewed!

**RyterHarpie** Welcome back! Yea, I always really liked the idea of Hina-chan having twins. See ya!

**winterkaguya** Yay you returned! I always love your reviews, they cheer me up and make me laugh. I just HAD to make Sasuke faint. It was priceless wasn't it? And there is gonna be some lemony action. Later on that is.

**IheartBankotsu** You don't havta review all the chapters to chains! I would love it if you did, but that would be a bit boring wouldn't it? Though, it would up my ratings...Well I'm glad you loved my fic and I hope you'll love this one too!


	3. Romancing

**A/N:** Well I'm back! I'm soooo sorry! I really did mean to update yesterday but unfortunately my Internet crashed! Agk! So here I am in the Library trying to type real fast for you guys. This chapter is fluffy, in honor of Valentine's Day. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

It was a nice Saturday morning.

And Sasuke was trying his damndest to enjoy it while on the hunt for his Hinata. Hands shoved in his pockets he scanned the streets, walking slowly and trying to avoid fan girls. He had already been cornered once today, and that had not been pleasant.

It was taking too long to find her. He had had his obligations that morning, training with his team and getting sober. But he should have spotted her by now! At least, that was what he was telling himself.

He sighed in frustration. Hinata should have been doing her shopping right about now, he heard Sakura comment to Naruto that Hina-chan was going to buy baby stuff today.

The stuff for their baby.

The sky was blue, the grass was green, the sun was warm, and Hinata had just rounded the corner ahead of him..._Wait! What?_

Sasuke cursed under his breath, he just couldn't believe he hadn't noticed her.He took the corner at a run, and unfortunately slammed right in to our poor Hinata-chan.

"Ah!"

Sasuke grabbed at Hinata and managed to keep her from falling, but her bags weren't so lucky. All sorts of baby paraphenalia scattered across the pavement.

"Oh. Sorry."

"U-Uchiha-san!"

Hinata blushed and pulled away from Sasuke's protective arms.She brushed her hair out of her eyes and frowned at him.

"Uh, sorry. I didn't, I mean, I well, sorry." Sasuke said lamely, internally beating himself up, "I wasn't watching where I was going." He bent down and started to pick her stuff up. Placing it in the bags and avoiding her eyes.

Hinata was a little shocked. Never, NEVER had she ever heard Sasuke Uchiha apologize. Or stammer. She smiled a little and bent down to help him gather her shopping up.

After the last item was safely tucked away they both straightened up. An awkward silense ensued.

"So um, that's a lot of stuff you have there. Isn't it heavy?"

"Arigato. And y-yes it's a l-little heavy. But, I-I'll manage." she blushed and looked down.

"Let me help you carry it." her head snapped up and she gave him a smile, "Um, th-that's alright. I was g-going to go to l-lunch anyway a-and um I-"

"I insist. It is the least I can do for bowling you over." he said looking in to her silvery eyes feeling his heart rate pick up, "And I also insist on buying you lunch." Sasuke took her bags from her hands, "Where did you want to go?"

"Oh! Um I-I was thinking about Th-that little cafe. Right th-there." she pointed across the street a little flustered.

"Alright then." He began walking towards the shop, she walked quietly at his side, more than a little confused at the days events. And his behavior.

"A-arigato Uchiha-san."

"Sasuke."

"W-what?"

He smiled down at her, "Just call me Sasuke."

"O-okay. Then y-you can just call m-me Hinata."

* * *

"Arigato Sasuke! L-lunch was d-delicious."

They were walking away from the cafe. He had treated her to a nice lunch. Hinata had fun talking to him. She never realized just how much there was to Sasuke. She had never really said anything to him before, or looked at him. She thought with a blush, glancing at him. He really was handsome.

He smirked, taking a guess at her thoughts from the blush on her face and the sneaky side glances he was receiving, "Like I said, I owed you. Now where do you live?" he asked. Like he didn't already know. He had her apartment address a day after she'd moved in.

"Um, r-right around the n-next corner."

They continued the walk in silence, ocassionally glancing at one another. Until they arrived at her door.

"This it?"

"Y-yes"

Sasuke silently handed over her bags, and she smiled at him.

"I wanted to th-thank you again. For the n-nice time I had, I-I mean."

"It's fine Hinata. I liked spending time with you."

Hinata's eyes widened, did he mean?

He leaned closer, "Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

Her heart pounded furiously against her ribcage, like a trapped bird trying to free itself.

"W-well, I-"

He was close. Too close.

"Well?"

She couldn't think his face was too close to hers, her eyes traveled to his lips. She licked hers unconcsiously.

Unable to resist, Sasuke brushed his lips against hers. Tenderly lingering, and pulled slowly away, "Think about it."

Then he turned and walked away.

Hinata stood there trembling slightly.

What was she to do?

**

* * *

A/N:** Hey guys! Same thing as last time. Ten reviews before I update. Oh and is anybody interested in Beta reading for me? And remember to check my bio for the date I intend to update. Thanks to everybody who reviewed, you guys are awesome! 

**To my reviewers:**

**winterkaguya** That is a BIG problem. How the hell _am_ I supposed to get our dark avenger and sweet Hina-chan together when Neji is about to kill any male who so much as sneezes in her direction? I am still working that one out! If you have any ideas, any at all, please, please tell me! I am desperate!

**STEVEO 352** LOL Thanks so much for the review.

**mac2** Nope, Hiashi did not disown her. After all they all think she was raped, courtesy of Neji, so of course it wasn't her fault. I always thought she should give up her postion

**Hitenisababe** You mean people actually think about my fic? Wow. Mindblowing

**Narutoavrillavgnefan** Thanks. So I made you a sasuhina fan? Yea!

**chriss101** No problem, I think you would all kill me if I didn't.

**Danimals21** You like it? Yes! I feel soo good now.

**IheartBankotsu **Thanks.

**RyterHarpie** Aww thanks, you guys always make me laugh. Was this a fluffy enough chapter?

**Cotton-Candy-Venom** Aww thanks for the review hon!

**Itoshi tenshi** I'm glad you really like my fic, I just can't seem to wrap my own mind around theat concept.

**minniemousemom** Thanks!


	4. Stupid Sasuke

**A/N:** Okay here is the next chapter, on time too. A lot of people have been asking me "Whatsup with Tenchi" Well guys, he doesn't show up till a little later in the fic, sorry! Yes, yes, the bastard that we love to hate will come in soon enough and I can guarantee you'll hate him more than ever.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**

* * *

**

_Did Sasuke Uchiha ask me out?_

_He did._

Hinata's head was spinning. She had placed her shopping in her bedroom and was now sitting on the couch in her living room thinking about the handsome Avenger.

_He does know I'm pregnant. He has to, even if he didn't know already because of gossip, he just _had_ to see what was in my shopping bags..._

She buried her head in her hands, Dozens of questions battering her about.

Should she go out with him? But, if she did, it was like giving up The Raven, not to mention the amount of whispers and gossip that would follow her around. Could she give up the hope that her love would return?

And what would Neji say? Hinata gulped, he definetly would not approve. Not that it was any of Neji's business but, she really did not need any more drama than she already had.

And she was still pregnant. Onlt two months, but still... Could she get involved in a relationship when she had other priorities? And what if Sasuke only wanted to date her for her body? Had he heard she was just some whore?

And what about Sasuke?

She thought about it. She would not mind dating him, he had been nice that afternoon. And...she had felt...relaxed...when she was with him. She hadn't felt so comfortable with anybody since she'd been kidnapped. Not to mention that he wasn't a bad kisser...

She decided to stay hoem the rest of the day, putting all the new baby stuff away. She placed the recepits for the cribs in a kitchen drawer, and went to take a relaxing shower. She went to bed early that day, hoping to get some rest.

Maybe enlightenment would come during dreamtime.

* * *

AGRHK!

How could he have been so stupid?!?!!?!?!! Why did he just blurt it out?! Why did he kiss her?! He, of all people, should have known better. Sasuke knew quite well that he would have to go slowly with Hinata. After all he'd broken her heart once before. (Though she didn't know that) It was going to take time for her to rust any ,man ever again!

He groaned and hid his face in his hands. (Much like Hinata was doing at that moment in her own apartment) What was he going to do? He might have just blown it all away now! She might think he was a pervert, or worse...

Well maybe all was not lost. There was one thing he could do to try and tip the balnace in his favor. He picked up the phona and started to dial

* * *

**The Next Day**

Hinata woke up bleary eyed and groggy. Her dreams had been filled with nightmares. Not quite within sight fears, hidden within the shadows of dreamland. She couldn't quite recall them, but she felt uneasy thinking about it. She pushed the phantoms from her mind and returned to her previous problem. To date Sasuke, or to not date Sasuke?

_It can wait untill after I've taken a bath._

A little while later found her on her way to work, her problem still unsolved. She had decided to think on it after work. She was procrastinating, and she knew it, but she really didn't want to make a descision.

She walked in the main doors and waved at the receptionist, who smiled and waved back. Then she headed to the staff room to hang up her coat.

When she opened the door she felt confused, for the staffroom looked more like a flower shop. The whole place was filled with a multitude of flowers. Flowers of every shape, size, and color you could imagine. They covered every surface available. Hinata walked dazedly to the center of the room, shrugging out of her coat and laying it across her arm.

"They're all for you."

Hinata jumped a bit, she hadn't seen anybody, and the reason why became apparent when Sakura popped up beside a large vase of pink roses.

Sakura giggled at Hinata's dumbstruck expression, "Hey Hina-chan! I was going to call you. They don't need us today, but then I saw all these..." she looked around admiringly, "and of course I just had to see your face when you came in here!"

"Th-these are a-all for me?"

"Hai."

"Wh-who sent th-them?"

Sakura giggled again, really enjoying this, " I don't know, but," she pulled an envelope from her jacket pocket, "This came with it." Hinata took it from her with shaky hands and slit open the envelope. A single piece of paper fell out and drifted to the floor. She bent over to pick it up and read it, her heart beating a mile a minute.

"Well? What does it say?" Sakura asked impatiently, leaning over Hinata's shoulder, she began to read it aloud:

_Meet me at the Purple Rain restraunt tonight at 6 o'clock for dinner._

_PS. I wasn't sure what your favorite flower was._

_SU_

"S.U.? What could that stand fo-" The room stood still as her thought procesess came to the conclusion, " YOU'RE GOING OUT WITH SASUKE-KUN?!"

Hinata threw a frantic glance at the door, "Shhh! G-gomen, but ,I-I mean h-he h-has not, I-I m-mean w-we have not, I-I, gomen Sakura-chan." she finished lamely tugging on her friends arm, she was worried that Sakura was mad at her. But at the same time, was really embarrased, her face steadily turning the red color it always seemed to when she was uncomfortable.

Sakura's breathing slowed and she finally calmed down enough to take in Hinata's expression.

"You mean he's never asked you out before?"

Hinata nodded. Sakura took a deep breath. Poor Hina-chan she looked absolutely terrified, as well she should be. Stupid Sasuke! Well, it was precisely what Hinata needed though, she needed to get out and get on with her life, she'd been far to closed up to the world lately. And she would have to speak with Sasuke.

"Well then, you have got to go to the Purple Rain tonight. You know, " she added thoughtfully, ignoring Hinata's terror stricken face, "Purple Rain is the most expensive restraunt in town. Naruto said he'll take me there someday, when he gets the money." She peeked at her friend's face and sighed, "C'mon sit down with me. We ave to talk."

She cleared off another chair and drew Hinata to t pushing on her shoulders to get her to sit.

"Now, what are you so afraid of?"

Hinata looked at her in disbelief.

"Do you like Sasuke?" she aked bluntly, taking Hinata's reddening face for a yes, she continued, "You have to get out more Hinata. He's not coming back." she flinched. Sakura leaned over and gave her a hug, "Maybe Sasuke-kun is just what you need to relax. Have a little fun. You're young, Hina-chan, you have your whole life ahead of you, don't waste it! And anyway if he so much as makes you cry, I'll beat him up." she added cheerfully, "So?"

"H-hai. I will g-go tonight"

Sakura beamed, "Alright! Now what do you have to wear?"

"Ummm."

Sakura laughed, "Time to go shopping Hina-chan!"

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** Okay, thats all done! Next chapter is the big date! giggles Ten reviews people!

To my reviewers:

**ShadowRonin** Thanks, I hope this all turns out well, I have my doubts.

**DarkDecember93** Thanks, it's fine if you leave a short review! One word is just fine for me, as long as the person reviews!

**Narutoavrillavignefan** Naw I don't need replies! Thanks for the review and the compliment, I don't think I'm that good.

**toni** Yep, thats part of my idea for the future. I love irony...

**IhearBankotsu** Don't be so sure its just for the baby! He does love her, only in his own Sasuke way. Arrogant jerk that he is...

**STEVEO 352** Yup, and thanks for the review.

**black55widow** So do I, and I felt like writing a little fluffiness so thats what I did. Thanks for the review.

**chriss101** Aww Sasuke will let her know eventually, just not right away!

**Beabandit** LOL If you only knew how many reviews I get anyway, not to mention my lazy friends who just tell me about my fic! I am honored to be your first review, may it lead to many more!

**Hitenisababe** Yup Tenchi knows and he'll appear maybe in the next chapter.

**missmimi123** Yes Sasuke will tell her and look above for your Tenchi problem!

**s.lee723** Thanks!

**RyetrHarpie** Hahahahaahaha Wow this made me laugh! Sorry Harpie, for getting Ryter all hyper! Thanks so much for the encouragement!

**Lien** Thanks!

**minniemousemom** Yeah the sweet side of Sasuke is a bit hard to write and keep him in character but I havta do it. It's just so much fun.

**rallybabe89** Where do I find the time? The answer may surprise you. I do it at school mostly. I write it all down at Study Hall (I'm usually ahead on Homework) And then I type it all in to the media center's computers as fast as my fingers will fly. And thanks sos much for saying you love my fics! I have three and I am planning to write much more, just check out my bio and you'll see what I've planned! Oh and thank you for the reviews of the other chapters too.


	5. Neji Reacts and Tenchi Plans

**A/N: **Okay, okay I've broken down. Tenchi is gonna be here just as a part of the chapter.And I'm really sorry, but the date will have to wait just a bit longer. AGHK Don't kill me! (Ducks objects thrown by angry readers.)I'm really sorry for the late update but I caught strep and my computer only got up and running today, so here I am. I hope you guys like the chapter... I spent all my time in bed working on it! See ya soon!

DDEC

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Hinata sighed as she brushed her hair back from her face and gazed in to the mirror before her. She had worn it long for many years now and today she had decided to cut it. She had figured the loss of her hair as a metaphor for her whole life. It had changed drastically, and now, so had her hair. Sakura had said that it suited her. Hinata agreed.

She was in her bathroom, all dressed up and ready for her date, even though there was still a hour or so until six o'clock. 

She had a reason for getting ready so early; her resolve needed to be strengthened. This way, she had to meet Sasuke, otherwise her preparations would have been done for nothing, and Hinata did not like to waste. She needed the extra incentive because, no matter how much she had meant what she had said to Sakura she was seriously on edge. She was terrified, nervous, anxious, excited, and even a little happy. She wondered how she could feel all these emotions at once. Shouldn't she have exploded by now?

She gazed at her reflection. Was she pretty? Sakura and numerous others had told her she was, but even at her most objective she could never bring herself to agree with them. She was not wearing any make-up, and she really did not need it. Her skin had always been clear and sometimes people had said it was luminous. She studied her face, a bit pale with her iridescent pearl eyes wide with anxiety. Only one short lock of hair hung down to frame her lovely face. Unlike in her childhood when she had two hiding her face from the world, and later when it was long enough to be a curtain. Well, the time of hiding was over. She had matured a lot in the last few months, and now viewed the world through different eyes.

She lowered her gaze to her body, stepping back from the mirror a little ways. Thin. Petite. A little curvy and then she was being charitable (or so she thought). She frowned and shifted the dress she wore so it was a bit higher on her chest. Sakura had picked it out, and it showed too much that Hinata was not used to showing. She looked at herself for a moment and then shifted the dress back to it's original place. _Why not live a bit Hinata?_

The dress was a LBD. Sakura had found out that Hinata did not have one and immediately told her she had to buy one. She said that the little black dress was something every woman should have. Hinata was not so sure about that, but she trusted her friend and had bought the dress Sakura had picked out. It was black silk, with a low v-neck line and a plunge behind that showed off the snowy skin of her back. It fell to just below her knees, in a cascade of black silk that flowed gracefully over her body and somehow gave her a sensual look. She was wearing high-heels too. Sakura had got her to indulge in a pair of strappy black pumps. _The added height does not look bad on me either_, she mused.

A knock sounded at her door, drawing her attention away from her thoughtful perusal of her mirror self.

She hurried to the door and opened it.

"Neji!"

The handsome man leaning indolently against the door frame looked up and gave a small smile, "Hinata." he greeted her simply. His cool gaze took in her appearance and a smirk graced her cousin's lips, "My aren't you looking lovely this evening." He stepped inside, his silver eyes appraising her with a disturbing intensity that made her blush.

"So what is the occasion? I must confess to being rather curious. I come over to pay a visit to my cousin and instead I get greeted by a lovely angel at the door."

"Neji!" Hinata said, now an even darker shade of red. He said nothing, but raised an eyebrow in her direction. A clear indication that he wanted an answer. She sighed and poked her fingers together, nervously biting her lower lip. _Does she even realize how incredibly cute she is? _If Neji was not so closely related to her, he might consider Hinata in a romantic way. As it was though, she was more like the younger sister he never had.

"Well?" he prodded. Now he was really curious. She just looked too nervous. His protective instincts kicked in.

As for Hinata, she was petrified. Neji was sure to take the news badly, (an understatement in her opinion) and she was not so sure how to tell him. She had not expected him to drop by so soon after his last visit. She had sort of hoped she would not have to tell him about Sasuke any time soon.

She took a deep breath and began, "W-well I a-am going o-out."

He frowned and raised an eyebrow, she knew he was not going to buy that thin excuse and she sighed again.

"Well I-I ummm...S-somebody e-e-else is going t-to." she said. Neji's brow furrowed, "Who? Sakura? I saw you two earlier today..." Hinata was tempted to let him believe that, but she could not lie to him. Not after all the loving support he had given her these past few weeks. She ducked her head, wishing that she had left her hair long so she could hide from Neji's observant eyes.

"N-no. Ii is n-not Sakura-chan." She just could not seem able to get the words out.

"Then who, Hinata?"

Hinata's heart beat painfully in her chest and she licked her lips, her mouth having gone dry, "S-S-Sasuke U-U-Uchiha." She winced and waited for the outburst, but it did not come. After a moment or two of silence she looked up in to Neji's face.

His face was slack, his eyes wide and a bit out of focus. His expression was appropriate to one having just been clubbed over the head.

"Neji?" Hinata reached out and touched his arm timidly. If the situation had not been so serious she might have found it comical. He had now begun to shake. His fists clenched on his knees, and the tendons in his neck stood out vividly against his skin. He was a man on the edge of control.

Hinata was worried, "Neji?"

"YOU ARE GOING OUT WITH THE SASUKE UCHIHA! THE AVENGER!""

His outburst was expected, yet it caught her off guard and she jumped back from him, tripped over her dress, and landed with a painful thump on the floor. Neji calmed down almost instantly and got to his feet to help her up

"Hinata! All you all right?"

He had not meant to scare her, but his anger over her date with the Uchiha...Of all the available men in Konoha, why did it have to be him? However, his anger dissipated as soon as Hinata was in trouble. "I apologize Hinata. I did not mean to make you fall."

"It is o-okay. I-I am fine." 

He sat back down with Hinata and gave a small sigh, "Hinata I do not-"

"Neji, p-please. D-do not be d-d-difficult." Hinata interrupted, looking up at his face with pleading eyes.

"But Hinata-"

N-no buts Neji. P-please." she wrapped her arms around his torso in a hug and pleaded with him, "Please..."

Neji's heart softened, and he wrapped his own arms around her pulling her close and burying his face in her sweet-smelling hair. After a moment he gently pulled away and gave her a small smile. He was surprised to see a tear slide slowly down her face.

"Is this what you truly want?" he said, wiping the tear away; searching her eyes for any hint of dishonesty as she answered, "Hai."

"Alright, if it is what you want Hinata, I will not stand in your way. But if he hurts you..." he let the threat hang in the air between them. It was crystal clear what he meant to Hinata.

"T-thank y-you niisan!" she said, snuggling in to his chest. Neji sighed and let a small smile touch his lips. Only for Hinata.

"Now," he said pulling away, "There was a reason for my visit." Hinata watched as he pulled out a small box from a pocket and held it out to her. She took the package from him with curious fingers. Neji smirked and leaned back as she opened it and gasped. It was so much fun to give Hinata a gift, she was always sure to love it, no matter what.

"Oh Neji i-it is so b-beautiful! She had pulled a necklace out from beneath layers of tissue paper and now ran her finger along the silver chain and the pendant. It was three beautifully crafted roses made of pink quartz. One was larger than the other two and hung the lowest with the two smaller roses hung slightly above and to either side of the larger one. She guessed the symbolism right away. 

"F-for the t-twins?"

Neji gave a silent nod and took the necklace from her hands and fastened it about her neck. While tears slipped down her face.

"Th-thank you! Thank you e-ever so much!"

"I'm glad you like it."

She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on his cheek, her eyes shone with gratitude. And Neji knew it was not just for the necklace.

They embraced again and he left. Hinata sat awhile longer on the couch and thought about her necklace. She was touched by the gift and the meaning behind it. When it just a few minutes until six, she left never noticing the dark figure that watched her from the shadows.

* * *

Tenchi watched silently as Hinata left her apartment to meet her date. He had overheard her and the pink-haired girl that afternoon in one of the shops. And he was furious.

How DARE she! She was his and no other! Even if her family would not give her to him anymore, even if she did not want him, and even though she was spoiled, he wanted her. And ONLY her. So he had devised a plan to get his revenge and have her as his wife. She would be quite amenable to him after he was through with her.

He had followed her home that afternoon and found out where her apartment was. He had gone quickly through his plans and set everything in place. He carefully broke in to her apartment and waited in the semi-gloom for her return. She would be his and she would pay dearly for her behavior.

Oh yes, she'd pay.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, I don't think I need to worry about getting ten reviews! You guys are so sweet. But...now you'll have to wait until I get 15 reviews. I'm upping it. Anyways, thanks so much for all your continuing support! Bye!

DDEC

**To my reviewers**:

**rallybabe89** Gulp. I'm afraid that I do rush a little too much when trying to put out a new chapter for you guys. I also have trouble with length. sighs I'm working on it. And if you can spot that stuff would you like to beta read for me?

**IheartBankotsu** LOL Yup. Sasuke has a sweet side (Gasp!) And of course he has a whole family fortune to live off of, hence the flowers.

**RyterHarpie** Hheheeh well I like portraying Sakura as nice and sorry no evil Ten-baka. Thanks for the review. I have to catch up with your fic, (thwacks head) I keep forgetting. SORRY!

**Hitenisababe** Well I hope you got your dose of Tenchi in here.

**winterkaguya** Yea I like that chappie's title, it was gonna be something else but then I had an odd dream with Hinata telling Sasuke he was being stupid and well, I can't deny my dreams their say!

**DeadCuteSpirit** That is fine! I know how busy life can be! Thanks for reviewing when you can.

**STEVEO 352** He won't tell her, yet. And it will be a very fun shocking surprise to write.

**DJ** Thanks for the enthusiastic review!

**Beabandit** Well, I'll do my best!

**Narutoavrillavginefan** Yeasss, I know, I'm just a little lazy. I did write that one out in study hall beforehand and that is what made it longer, I think I'll continue doing that so my fans can read more and stop complaining. (I do need the kick in the ass though to get me moving)

**Neko Eclipse** Welcome aboard! Cool name. I hope to get feedback from you in the future!

**Raxus Prime** Another newb to my fic! I hope you liked Chains. Sasuhina rocks:D Your name kind reminds me of a video game, ya know Metroid Prime...Hope to get reviews from you in the future!

**blackraven615** LOL thats what happened with some of my fave stories! Thanks for the review!

**Lien Braska** Thanks! I love when people review and give me compliments!

**Secret world** I'll see if I can check it out for you. Thanks for the review!

**words of the wise** Right on sasuhina fan!

**chriss101** Thanks! It is so odd to thi nk that people think that, I am here to improve my writing skills and it feels so good when people say I am awesome!

**babyspice** Aww thanks! I really love hearing that people love my work! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.


	6. DunDUNdun The Date

**A/N: **Hey guys I'm back. I hope you all had a nice Easter! I did. So here is the next chapter, the one you've all been waiting for, DundunDUN The Date. Oh and I want to let you all know that I have a beta now so Broken Chains will probably be coming along better and faster than ever! I'm sorry about the late update.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

* * *

Hinata took a deep breath and paused before the door of the Purple Rain. This was it, no turning back now. She opened the door.

She had never been inside this restaurant before, and she had to admit is was probably the fanciest one she'd ever seen. It was dimly lit with candles on every table and roses were placed in vases on every available surface. The tables had white cloth and silverware with a gold edge. Very fancy. She could not help but wonder that Sasuke would take her out to such an obviously expensive place. There were not many patrons there, and most of those were older couples, but here and there she could see a few people around her age. She could not spot Sasuke.

"Hello, miss. Can I help you?"

She jumped, a little startled and tripped over her dress, the only reason she didn't fall was because the waiter caught her. She flushed pink.

"Th-thank you. G-gomen. I am here w-with Sasuke U-Uchiha."

The waiter raised an eyebrow but said, "Yes, of course. Right this way, miss."

* * *

Sasuke waited impatiently for Hinata to arrive. He hoped she would. After all, it wasn't like this was definite.

He had worn himself out with worrying; he had hardly slept at all. He wished he could just drink this all away, but then Hinata wouldn't like that, now would she?After gulping down six glasses of water (and running to the restroom three times) Sasuke glanced at the clock. He had been there twenty minutes, and Hinata hadn't arrived yet. Not that she was late or anything, but still...

There! There she was! Walking up to the door outside. Kami, she was lovely...And she didn't ditch him! This meant he still had a chance! Silently, he patted himself on the back.

She was so beautiful. Her hair was different, he noted. She had cut it off to the length she had worn it during their genin years, before she had grown it long. He remembered watching her hide behind that dark curtain. Mostly when Naruto was around. She was wearing a daring dress, for Hinata that is. He particularly liked the contrast of the black against her pale skin. She had obviously made an effort to look nice, something he knew that she normally did not do. He wondered if she did it for him, or if someone had pushed her to it? Perhaps a combinationof both? Well no matter the cause, she was stunning.

* * *

She followed him through the maze of tables. She got a lot of jealous stares. She was very beautiful, even if she didn't think so. Finally they reached a small alcove set a bit aside from the main area. The waiter smiled and bowed leaving her at the doorway. She thanked him and went inside.

There he was, Sasuke. She noticed how handsome he was, in a black suit. His dark blue-black hair hung forward shading his eyes. He looked up from his pale hands on the table and smirked, "You look lovely tonight, Hinata." His smirked widened as she blushed.

"Th-thank you."

He gestured for her to take the seat across from him. His eyes followed her to her seat. His scrutiny made her a bit more aware of him than she might have been, and she found herself studing him right bcak. They were silent for a little while, the waiter brought their menus and still they said nothing. It was not an awkward silence however, it was somehow relaxing and comfortable. It felt right. Eventually Sasuke looked up and caught her eyes, "I was afraid you might not come. I would like to apologize for my behavior towards you. It was inexcusable."

Her breath caught in her throat; he was apologizing? "Th-that's alright. I-I didn't m-mind." _Now why did I say that? Because you liked that kiss Hinata..._

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but did not reply.

Beautiful music started playing, behind a screen that Hinata just noticed. As she turned, the light glinted of her necklace. Sasuke couldn't help but admire it. It was a magnificent piece of craftsmanship.

"That necklace is very beautiful, much like you are tonight, my l-, my dear Hinata."

Sasukeheld his breath. He had almost let it slip out! But Hinatadidn't seem to notice. She blushed pink again, absentmidedly fiddling with the chain, and replied, "Y-yes. My niisan g-gave it to m-m-me. It stands f-for th-the twins, you see."

"Twins?! You're having twins!" Sasuke nearly jumped out of his seat. Twins!

Hinata was a little confused with his reaction, "Yes. Did y-you not kn-know I w-was p-pregnant?"

"Yes, I knew. But I didn't know it was twins. Congratulations." She ducked her head.

"Are you ready to order?"

* * *

Hinata picked at her food. She wasn't very hungry and had mostly talked with Sasuke as the dinner progressed. They had lapsed in to a comfortable silence every now and then, like now.

Although she had talked about much with him, she hadn't brought up the subject she wished to know the most about.

Why her?

She sighed and took another sip of her wine. She usually didn't drink, but tonight she had indulged a bit to relax. A little too much. She was a bit dizzy and felt pleasantly fuzzy. She had forgotten that she shouldn't drink alcohol. She had meant to have only one glass, but it kept being refilled, and her nervousness had made her thirsty. The waiter came to clear the plates away and soon enough Sasuke was escorting her out the door.

"Would you like to walk for awhile? I know a nice spot we can got to." Sasuke suggested. His eyes hadn't missed her mood; she was obviously debating about something, and he had a good idea what. She was also a bit drunk, not too much, but enough to bother him. What if she should hurt their children?

She nodded and he began to steer her in another direction, keeping her on balance with his arm through hers, and allowing the quiet to continue. He left her to her thoughts and turned to his own. Would he tell her who he was? Could he? He wanted to but, The Raven was somebody who had many enemies, and he was someone who might be called upon again. He couldn't risk that. No he couldn't tell her, no matter how much he wanted to.

He glanced down at her, and once again he felt she was the most beautiful angel on earth.

They finally arrived at Sasuke's spot. It was a peaceful stream that ran in to a little pond in one of the parks. It was not as well kept as some and that kept people from disturbing him when he went there. It was a bit overgrown and wild. He liked the peacefulness and the quiet. He often came here to relax and ponder the future, and the past...

He led her down to the grassy bank and sat down. She gracefully folded herself down beside him, a foot away. Carefully, Sasuke took Hinata's hand in his own and held it. She looked up, startled. He tried to give her a reassuring smile, it must have worked because she snuggled up to him, leaning against his chest. He was very surprised, but then, she was a little drunk.

The silence continued for well over an hour. Both of them just sitting there, stroked her hand with one of his thumbs and the other hand held her against him. He inhaled the scent that always seemed to cling about her. Roses. Ahh bliss. He wanted more than anything to claim her lips with his own and taste her again, but he was well aware what that might do to Hinata. Eventually she fell asleep. When it was getting a little late, Sasuke shook her, but she just mumbled a little incoherently. So sighing, he picked her up and carried her home, bridal style.

When he arrived at her door he was shocked to find it unlocked, after all she lived alone in an apartment, she should have locked the door. He glanced back at the street and activated his sharingun, but there was nobody nearby. And he hadn't run in to anyone on the way there. He ventured cautiously in to the house, but nothing seemed wrong. He stumbled around in the dark, after laying Hinata on the couch. Sasuke finally came across her bedroom, he flicked on the lights, and gently moved her to her room.

Hinata didn't wake. She rolled over and hugged her pillow, mumbling something he couldn't quite hear. Then she said it again, "Raven..." she sighed.

Sasuke felt like a knife had been plunged in to his heart, he backed away and fled to her living room, where he plopped on to the couch. With his head in his hands, he tried to block out the voice that repeated his alias name over and over again. Finally, exhausted physically and emotionally, he fell asleep.

* * *

Damn that man!

Just when Tenchi thought he had Hinata in his hands, _he_had to show up and ruin it...It was lucky he had a few spies posted here and there, or he might have been forced to fight the Uchiha, and that was an experience he could do without.

Oh well, he could wait a little longer. He had rushed too fast in to his plan. He had time to refine it and make everything absolutely perfect.

Oh yes. Hinata would still be his.

Nothing could change that.

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you all so much for reviewing! 21 reviews?! (sniffle) I feel so loved...Okay same deal as last time. Remember to check my profile for updates! Oh and I've decided not to leave a reply anymore for you guys at the bottom. I'm really sorry but I didn't realize that we weren't supposed to do that! So thank you all who did review. One more thing, I've drwan cover art for both of the fics in this series, if you're interested, check out my page and click on the links. Don't forget to check for the updates! See ya soon.

oOkuronekoOo, Dj, bookworm2663, Neko Eclipse, Hitensiababe, DarkDecember93, RyterHarpie, Beabandit, black55widow, STEVEO 352, toni, winterkaguya, rallybabe89, IheartBankotsu, Lien Braska, DeadCuteSpirit, blackraven615, Zarah21, minniemousemom, dark aura132, and Forever Angelic.

Oh and sanriochica333, and Lez07Gaa for reading and reviewing Chains.

* * *


	7. The Answers

**A/N:** Hey guys! Back again! I guess that the last chapter was a fave, huh? Here you are the next chapter in the fic. Remember to check my profile for the update dates! WARNING! FLUFF AHEAD!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

Sasuke: Thank Kami.

DDEC: What's that supposed to mean?

Sasuke: I hate to see what you do to your friends if you make me be jealous of, well, _ME_! What the fuck?!

DDEC: (sighs) Ignore him people, I guess I should raise his pay.

Sasuke: You don't pay me at all!

DDEC: I let you and Hinata have some...er, _fun_, behind the TV yesterday. And I really wanted to watch that show!

Sasuke: ...

DDEC: Ah, the power of an author. Here ya go!

* * *

Hinata woke up in her apartment with a headache. She groaned and rolled over, pulling the covers above her head. Then she remembered that she didn't remember _how_ she had gotten home. _Oh shit! What happened?!__This is bad..._She nearly jumped a foot in the air when she heard a throat being cleared.

"Sasuke!"

He smirked, and leaned against her door frame trying to seem casual, as if it was every day he brought a woman back to her apartment and spent the night on her couch, "Morning. You look beautiful when you wake up."

Hinata blushed and pulled the blankets up to her chest, and then she realized she was still fully clothed, so nothing had happened. She let out an audible sigh of relief and then winced and brought a hand to her throbbing head, "Owww."

Sasuke grimaced, "Yea, hangovers aren't nice. You okay?"

"Uh huh. I've just got an h-headache."

They stayed there like that, an awkward silence beginning to envelope them. What did you say in a situation like this? Then it hit Sasuke, she wasn't stuttering like she usually did.

Before he could say anything though, she got up and began to walk to her bathroom as she said over her shoulder, "Um, can you give me a minute? I want a shower, but p-please stay. Make yourself some breakfast if you w-want."

Sasuke nodded to himself and watched her cute little behind as she disappeared behind the door. He heard the water go on and sighed, time to make breakfast.

He went to her kitchen and began looking for something he could cook in the fridge. Eggs, milk, bread, a bento box, butter...Well he could make scrambled eggs. He pulled them out and began to cook. As an afterthought, he also pulled together his hangover remedy, for Hinata. He wasn't so badly off, and he cursed himself for not paying more attention to what she had drunk last night. Obviously, she had a low alcohol tolerance. But then anyone so petite would.

He started to serve the food just as she came in to the kitchen in a tee and jeans with a towel wrapped around her hair. She mumbled a thank-you. Her headache was still strong.

"Here," Sasuke pushed a glass of, well Hinata could only call it sludge, towards her, "This will help." She looked at it doubtfully and sniffed at it. She almost gagged as he chuckled, "It will help. Trust me." She regarded him with reluctant eyes, but then pinched her nose and downed the concoction. He was right, it helped immediately. She would have to ask him for the recipe, not that she planned to get drunk again. That was really stupid. She hoped she hadn't jeopardized the pregnancy, but she was almost sure she hadn't; call it a mother's intuition. She'd get checked out soon anyway.

They ate together in silence. It was comfortable and somehow, familiar. So she just concentrated on being there with him. Sakura had been right, she had needed a distraction. Sasuke was certainly distracting enough for any woman. She smiled behind her glass of orange juice.

Sasuke too enjoyed the quiet. He was just glad she hadn't been upset about his staying over and him bringing her home. But she still could be upset, he couldn't tell yet. So when they'd both finished he said, "I am sorry about last night, I should haven't had let you have so much to drink. I brought you home, and I kind of passed out on your couch. I really didn't mean to intrude." He watched her face and grasped her reaction. The emotions that flickered across her face boded well for him. At least she wasn't angry. For a Hyuuga, she sure was an open book.

"Um, that's okay, Sasuke. As long as N-neji niisan doesn't find out."

He raised an eyebrow and she giggled, "He can be quite p-protective of me..."

She stood up and grabbed the dishes from the table and began to wash them by hand. She didn't comment when Sasuke picked up a towel and began to dry and put them away. When they were all done, he said, "Hinata. Can you hear yourself talk?" She frowned and shook her head, "What are you talking about? Of course I can he-" She stopped and gasped, "I'm not stuttering!" He laughed at her shocked expression, she was so adorable.

Then she did something unexpected, she threw herself at him and hugged him tight. Her lips at his ears whispered, "Thank you." He froze and then let his arms wrap around her. Her breath against his neck was distracting, but he was jumping for joy inside. She was finally in his arms! Then, in a bold move, she pulled her head back a little and tentatively pulled his head down to her mouth and kissed him. It wasn't an intrusive kiss, but that Hinata had initiated it made it all the more special. He kissed her back softly. When they finally parted he laughed, "Wow. I should make you happy more often." She blushed and buried her head in his chest. She hadn't thought about what she was doing, it just felt so right.

"So I'm curious, why the thank-you?"

She looked up and led him to the couch. She didn't mind when he wrapped an arm about her waist and she leaned in to him unconsciously as she thought about her answer.

"Well, I-I think...maybe that you...um well, maybe that being with you stopped the stutter. So that is why I thanked you." She looked up in to his dark eyes.

Sasuke felt his heart melt as their eyes connected; this woman was always so honest and open. There was nothing deceptive about her. She had just taken his question seriously and had answered just as seriously. Another reason he loved her so much.

She was lost in his eyes. Usually the eyes of Sasuke Uchiha were empty, with nothing to read in them, but right now...She could see everything in them. She could see attraction, wonder, pain, sadness, and joy. It made her quite speechless. She didn't think had had ever experienced something so intimate as this. Not even with the Raven.

Slowly she raised her hand and rested it against his cheek, still staring deeply in to his eyes, "Why me?"

Sasuke leaned in to her hand and sighed, and with their eyes still connected said, "Because...I-I care about you, Hinata. I always liked you. Do you realize how different from the other girls that followed me around you are? Your special and...I want to be a part of your life."

She was surprised by the pain in his eyes, but what really shocked her was not his honesty, but the words behind it.

"You don't care that I...?"

"No! I care for you just the way you are. All the strings attached as they may be." He smiled at her.

Hinata felt tears in her eyes. Never before had anyone made her fell this way. Sensing her emotions, Sasuke tenderly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, kissing away her tears, and looking at her with questioning eyes. Yes, she was more than willing to give this man a chance. And see where they could go together. Her soft lips on his was all the answer Sasuke needed.

* * *

**A/N: **Hmm, a bit fluffy, but that's fine huh? I just love writing chappies like this. They're so kawaii! Thank you all SO much for reading and reviewing! I live for your reviews!

**Thank you to:** Kawaii Kabu, dark aura132, toni, Hitensiababe, huh?!, rallybabe89, Narutoavrillavgnefan, IheartBankotsu, RyterHarpie, Lex07Gaa, Rosalina, DJ, DarkDecember93, Lien Braska, Neko Eclipse, Jester of Fools, linksofmemories, and STEVEO 352.


	8. A Nice Day BUT At The End

**A/N:**We have over 100 reviews! (Throws confetti in the air) Yay! Thank you **linksofmemories**for making my fic reach sweet # 100. Oh and I also wanna say thank you to **rallybabe89 **my awesome beta! I'm glad you all really loved the fluff. I never thought I was that good at it...I just didn't think about it, I wrote! And I wanna apologize, I'm having a really hard time thinking up new chapters. Writer's block, two words; it sucks. So I'm not bothering to have my beta look over this chappie (sorry rallybabe89)

DDEC: Who wants to say it this time? (dances around in circle)

All: NOBODY!

DDEC: Aw, come on guys, it's not that bad! (pouty lips)

Sasuke: You were really nasty last time, and I was totally out of character!

Hinata: Who knows what you'll do this time?

DDEC: So what? I get to do anything. I'M the_ AUTHOR_! I control your lives.

Naruto: You don't own any of us, DDEC! You don't own _anything_ in this story!

Sakura: Grrrr. Naruto! (slaps Naruto)

Naruto: What'd I do?! What'd I do?! (Ducks under Sakura's punch and runs)

DDEC: SCORE! Muhahahaha! You sooo fell for that Naruto-kun!

Sasuke: (glares) Baka.

DDEC: Me or him?

Sasuke: Both.

DDEC: That's it! No more Hinata privileges!

Shikamaru: (yawns) This is so troublesome, where is the story?

DDEC: Shh! Well you heard Naruto, I own nothing. On to the story!

* * *

Hinata was a having a nice day.

After Sasuke left she had done all her laundrey and household chores. She was ahead for the week, so then she had gone for a walk and ran in to Kiba and Akamaru. They had gotten some ice cream and gone for a walk in the park. She was feeling really happy, it had been awhile since she had been able to spend quality time with the people she loved.

She spent the rest of the morning thinking about her date later that evening, with Sasuke. He had wanted to take her out to dinner again, this time somewhere smaller, he had said.

She was wishing that the hours would fly by faster.

After an hour or so she had gone back home, only to find her sister Hanabi at her doorstep with a huge smile. She had told Hinata to follow her, and she had. So far they seemed to be wandering in circles.

"Um, Hanabi-chan. Wh-where are we going?"

"You'll see!"

They continued wandering around until they cam to a residential area that Hinata didn't recognize, where Hanabi suddenly stopped and said, "Close your eyes, and no peeking!" Curious as she was, Hinata closed her eyes and let Hanabi lead her on. She felt them going up a flight of steps and heard a door open. Finally Hanabi let go of her hand and said, "Okay sis, you can open your eyes now!"

"SURPRISE! CONGRADULATIONS HINATA!"

Hinata opened her eyes and gasped. She took in everything around her and smiled. There was a huge banner stretched across the hallway arch that read "Congradualtions You're Having A Baby" and all her friends were standing about with huge grins on their faces. There was a huge pile of gifts in one corner, as well as a table full of food and drinks in another.

Neji stepped forward and gave her a small smile, "It was Hanabi's idea." he steered her in to another room and towards the direction of a couch as everyone chattered away at her and followed after them. She was feeling a little overwhelmed when Neji barked, "Calm it down people!" Everyone got quiet. Sakura stepped forward and frowned, "Hey Hina-chan you okay?"

Hinata smiled, "Yes, I'm fine. J-just give me a minute." Sakura nodded, "Hey you lot!" she shouted over the tops of everyone's heads and smacked Naruto to get his attention, "Let's go outside, it's nice out." she turned to Hinata, "You come out when you're ready. 'Kay Hina-chan? We tried to keep it small but..." she shrugged and walked out. Everybody but Neji walked out too.

"A baby shower?!" she managed to say. Neji chuckled and sat her down, then walked away, presumably to get her something to drink.

"Yes, just for you." she nearly jumped out of her skin. "Sasuke?!"

His dark eyes regarded her with amusement as he sat down next to her, "What? Did you think I would miss my girlfriend's baby shower?"

"G-girlfriend?!"

"What, we're down to one word sentences now?"

She shook her head, "You better leave. If Neji sees you with me..." she didn't finish the thought.

"Point taken, but still," he paused and leaned towards her face, "You haven't forgotten tonight have you?" his eyes were strangely earnes as he asked this. _Is he afraid I won't come?_

"No. I will be there."

He leaned closer and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, "I'll see you outside then."

He left just as suddenly as he came, and just in time too. Neji came around the corner with two cups full of juice. They drank them in silence before she went outside to join the party.

* * *

As it was, Sasuke and Hinata didn't get their date because, the party lasted well in to the night. Hinata was kept busy the whole time. Gifts, food, drinks, cake, a baby instructor who came to teach the girls (all the guys fled the room), and so much love and support from her firends and family filled up the whole evening.

Eventually, Sasuke got her alone for a kiss and a goodbye, and then he left the party.

After almost everybody had left, she was escorted home by Neji and Hanabi, who helped her carry the gifts.

She went to sleep exhausted, but happy that night.

She never felt what happened next.

**A/N:** OMG what happens?! I'm trying really hard to update regularly and I'm having a bit of trouble. I'll try to update soon, but no promises. Check my profile for updates! See you all later! Also, I have some news you guys might not like, I have to go away for an extended period of time twice in the next few months. I will be back, but expect no chapters around the end of August and the end of June. The dates aren't fully set so don't worry yet. I'll let you know when I'm going.

And a BIG Thank You to my reviewers: Maya Aquaria, mac2, rallybabe89, Lex07Gaa, Melanie Skye, toni, Jester of Fools, Vindel, Kawaii Kabu, IheartBankoysu, STEVEO 352, cherryvampire3, Lien Braska, winterkaguya, DarkDecember93, Neko Eclipse, Hitensiababe, DJ, chriss101, Itsumo Neko, kenshinlover2002, and workshy.

**R**

**E**

**V**

**I**

**E**

**W**


	9. Tenchi's Return

**A/N: **You guys are such an inspiration and a help! Thank you all so much for reviewing. I'm sorry about the last few chapters, writer's block really sucks. I hope I'll be able to get back in to the swing of things soon. But anyway, here you guys are, the next chapter.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.**

* * *

Hinata woke up feeling a little odd. Her arms hurt and she was freezing. Her mind was all fuzzy and she couldn't think quite clearly.

She opened her eyes and her stomach went through the floor.

She wasn't in her apartment.

She tried to move, but found that her hands were tied tightly behind her back. She was lying on her side on a cold stone floor facing a stone wall. It was dark, there was barely a glimmer of light in the room. She groaned and rolled over. Across from her was a door with a small grille in it. Where was she? She concentrated, maybe she could use the escape jutsu. But, no. She couldn't reach her chakra. She was once again kidnapped and placed in an undesirable position.

Had The Raven come for her? Her heart pounded in her chest. But, he wouldn't tie her up like this, would he? She thought he cared more for her, because he had always treated her gently. No, she thought, wherever she is and whomever brought her here had nothing to do with The Raven.

She slowly struggled to sit up. She rolled over and used the wall as a support to slide up. She was left panting with the effort. Why was she so weak? A jolt went through her. Were her babies alright? She'd die if anything happened to the precious burden she carried within her. But no, she didn't see or feel anything that suggested they were hurt. That was a relief.

Her stomach grumbled. Man, was she hungry! But there was nothing in the room except herself. She licked her lips. She was also parched.

She tried to stand up, maybe there was someone outside the door who would bring her something to eat and drink. There was no doubt in her mind that she was a prisoner but even prisoners had to eat and drink to live. She was sure nobody would want to kill her. She wasn't the Hyuuga heir anymore, she had given up the title in favor of Hanabi, because she wanted to take care of her children without so much attention as the Hyuuga heir would get. Also, she knew nothing that an enemy ninja would want to know, so why was she here?

She managed to get to her feet. With her head spinning, she stumbled to the door and looked out, she saw a dark hallway running left to right. Other doors lined the walls. She didn't see anybody. She didn't hear anybody. She licked her lips and called out, "H-hello?" her voice was raspy and dry, but there was no answer.

She gave up and went to sit down in a corner, tears sliding down her cheeks.

What was going on?

Eventually she cried herself out and fell asleep.

She dreamed of Sasuke, and The Raven.

She was standing in a thick fog. She could not see anything. Then a pair of large red eyes appeared before her. Watching her. She was very frightened of these eyes, she felt like they were measuring her, comparing her to some unknown standard. They moved to the side, still watching her. Then the fog lifted slightly before her.

The Raven and Sasuke were standing far away from her, shadowy figures in the mist. Both of them were in a fighting stance, and she knew they were challenging each other for the right to win her heart. She cried out in terror as the fight began, but she had no voice. She tried to move, but found she was paralyzed. She didn't want them to kill on another! She loved The Raven and Sasuke...well she really cared about him. She watched in horror as the two men fought each other, giving it their all. They had landed about the same number of hits on each other. Just as they were about to land killing blows on each other, the world went red.

Hinata woke with a gasp and began to whimper. She didn't want to think about the dream so she pushed it to the back of her mind and locked it away. Then she rolled over and went back to sleep.

She didn't remember the dream when she woke up to the sound of the door opening...

* * *

Tenchi leaned back in his chair and smiled. Well, if one could call an evil, sadistic, and malicious grin a smile.

He was happy because all of his plans had come together. He had Hinata in his private compound with just a few loyal servants. Nobody yet knew that she had gone missing, and he had all the preparations for their marriage all but completed. It might be a little hard to convince his dear Hinata to see the light of her situation, but he would sure have fun doing it.

She was locked in an underground cell. One of many in the compound. Tenchi had many enemies that he had had to deal with and so he had the dungeon built. Hinata was in one of the more...spacious rooms. But if she didn't behave...Well he might have to move her somewhere else.

He chuckled.

It had been a few hours and the drugs he had injected in to her system should have worn off by now...He got up and stretched.

Time to go visit his fiance.

Tenchi left his office and strolled down the hallway. He reached a point in the wall where there was a keypad. A maid was cleaning the floor a little ways away, on her hands and knees with a bucket. He snapped at her, "Move it woman!" She jumped, startled, grabbed her cleaning supplies, and scurried away. All the servants there knew not to get in the master's way. He was cruel to those who disobeyed him. Tenchi sneered at her retreating back and turned to the keypad. He typed in his password and the wall rolled back to reveal a staircase with a guard at the top. They nodded to each other and Tenchi descended in to the darkness.

When he reached the bottom there was another door and another keypad. He typed another password in and then walked through the door.

The hallway was dimly lit and Tenchi cursed when he stumbled in to a corner. Rubbing his arm, he made his way to Hinata's cell.

Taking a key from his pocket, he stopped by the door and unlocked it. Inside his fiance was asleep on the floor. She started to stir the moment he stepped in and closed the door. She sat up groggily and tried to focus her eyes on the figure before. Tenchi smirked as her gasp revealed that she had recognized him.

"So my dear Hinata, how do you like your new accommodations? I cam assure you that they are the best I have to offer."

She remained silent.

Tenchi knelt down in front of her and grasped her chin with his hand. His nails bit slightly in to her skin.

"Didn't I tell you that you were mine? And you had to defy me..." he stroked her cheek with his thumb, "Well my dear, since it was postponed, are marriage will take place where I can be sure you are mine." he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "And those brats you carry will soon be forgotten." Hinata gasped and tried to jerk away, but Tenchi backhanded her and got to his feet. His eyes were blazing.

"Who was it that you gave yourself to? That blonde?"

Hinata struggled to controlthe sobs that welled up within her, "No. I-it was Th-The Raven."

"The Raven, hmm?" Tenchi paused, he had heard of The Raven of course, but nobody knew who he was. There was a huge monetary reward out for his capture, dead or alive. If he could get Hinata to tell him who this man was, then he would have the pleasure of killing him, not to mention the money.

Taking a deep breath he asked, "Who is The Raven? Surely you have seen his face?"

"I-I don't know. H-he never r-removed his m-mask."

Tenchi's face purpled with rage, "YOU LIE!" he kicked her leg and she hissed in pain. Taking a deep breath he compose himself before he did anything he might regret, "Well maybe a few days without food or water will loosen your tounge." he smirked. She remained silent.

"I will see you in two days, my dear. I await your answer." then he turned on his heel and left.

Hinata cried in the solitude of her cell.

What was she going to do?

* * *

**A/N:**Well now you all know exactly what tenchi is up to. And I got this out on time! Yay! My writer's block is lifting so I hope to get chapters out more often. See you all later!

**Thank you to my reviewers:** _Beabandit, Hitensiababe, Melanie Skye, cherryvampire3, STEVEO 352, harley944, Secretpoisson, IheartBankotsu, Lex07Gaa, Vindel, Kawaii Kabu, DarkDecember93, EncHanTingMOon, Milady.otaku, rallybabe89, Len Braska, blackraven615, and RyterHarpie._


	10. Blackmail and Discovery

**A/N:** This is probably the shortest chapter yet...I am so sorry, my brain doesn't seem to wanna work right. (sighs) forgive me.

**Discalimer:** I do NOT own Naruto.

* * *

Hinata rolled over and stared at the wall. She wished she knew what time it was but she had no way of knowing how much time had passed since Tenchi had left her alone for what seemed like forever. She had drifted in and out of sleep, waking up with tears streaming down her face, a dry throat, and cracked lips.

She hoped it would be over soon. Surely somebody would come to find her when she didn't show up for work? Sasuke was sure to notice, and Neji. She grimaced as she thought of the worry she must be causing her friends and family. Her lips started bleeding again at the action. She was so thirsty. She whimpered and could only hope she and her babies would be okay. Tenchi was a sadistic bastard and he didn't seem to care about her at all, leaving her without food or water, and to think that he wanted to marry her. She shuddered at the thought of being married to him. She would never agree to that!

And as to the information he wanted, how was she supposed to get out of that? She had no idea who The Raven was- no clue at all. If Tenchi wanted to know from her, he would meet a dead end there. What would he do to her in the mean time to get what he wanted out of her? Her breathing became ragged as she thought of the possibilities.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on calming down. She couldn't give in to her terror, not after all the time she spent getting stronger.

Then she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

"How is my fiancé this evening?"

* * *

Tenchi got up and stretched, today was the day! Just a little while longer and he'd see his lovely wife-to-be. He got dressed and took his time with his breakfast. After that, he went in to his study to wait. A few minutes later he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Two men in guard uniforms marched in holding a struggling woman by the arms. She was gagged, and terror shone from her eyes, though it changed to hatred when she laid eyes on Tenchi.

"YUGH BATASD!" Her muffled voice accused him.

Tenchi smiled and gave a small chuckle, "Yes well, I may be one, but what does that make you, hmm?"

The lady fell silent. She glared at him, horrified realization in her eyes.

He smirked and leaned back in his chair, "Tie her to that chair, ungag her, and leave us." he ordered.

The guards silently forced her to sit in a chair across from Tenchi, then tied her arms and her legs to the chair, tying the knots tight, and left closing the door with a loud "BANG" behind them. Tenchi winced, he'd really have to talk to his men about watching their strength.

The woman just stared at him, no words came forth from her. Her face clearly showed her disgust.

Tenchi smirked again and leaned forward across his desk to address her, "So my dear, I have a...guest I who will need healing after I'm through with them. I know of your kekai genkai, so don't shake your head like that. And I have the means to expose your...shall we say occupation?"

The woman closed her mouth and bent her head, her face a bright crimson.

Delighted Tenchi said, "We have a deal?"

"Yes."

* * *

Sasuke walked quickly towards Hinata's apartment. He had left a message on her answering machine saying he'd stop by later. He really should have waited for her answer, but he was too impatient. Holding a bouquet of red roses at his side, he made his way up the stairs and knocked on her door.

Nothing happened.

Sasuke glanced at his watch, she should have been home by this hour...

He knocked again and the door swung open to reveal an empty and darkened apartment.

"What the..."

Sasuke flipped on the lights and at once his eyes narrowed. There was a sign of a struggle. Everything was in disarray, tables tipped over, flowers scattered and dying, and glass on the floor.

His heart seemed to stop beating.

The roses fell from numb fingers.

He started running.

_Hinata..._

* * *

"Hey, has Hinata come in yet?" Sakura paused by the front desk to ask the secretary. She was on an errand. The hospital was really busy today and they needed every pair of hands they could get. Sakura hadn't seen Hinata and wondered where she was. The woman looked up from her paperwork and said, "Now that you mention it, she hasn't. Hinata-chan is always on time...I wonder where she has gotten to?" Sakura nodded and frowned, "Maybe she called in sick or something, I'll go ask Tsunade later." With that she continued on her errand, her feet briskly tapping the floor.

At the end of the day Sakura went to go see Tsunade. She knocked on her office door, a frown pasted on her face. Hinata hadn't shown up for work the whole day, and that was really unusual for Hinata.

"Come in."

Sakura opened the door and sat down across from the blond Hokage who was bent over a ton of paperwork, "Hey Tsunade-sama. Did Hina-chan call in sick today?"

Tsunade looked up, 'No. Wasn't she at work today?"

"No."

"Well that is strange. I think I'll-"

BANG!

The door flew open and hit the wall with a loud noise, cutting off all conversation as the stunned women looked around to see a very distraught looking Sasuke Uchiha. His eyes whirled around the office and landed on Tsunade as he gasped out his message, "Hinata's gone!"

* * *

**_A/N:_** Sorry this took a little longer than i thought it would, I'm still halfway blocked up, but I'm trying! At least I got this out. Well, I hope you all enjoyed it and I hope that you will all review! See ya soon!

**A BIG thank you to all who reviewed:** EncHanTingMoOn, Lex07Gaa, Beabandit, ShadowRonin, Jester of Fools, DarkDecember93, milady.otaku, Melanie Skye, IheartBankotsu, cherryvampire3, LilInsanegal, rallybabe89, Hitensiababe, minniemousemom, winterkaguya, Vindel, JayT11111, DJ, STEVEO 352, and Kimmi-chan.


	11. Life Is Meaningless

**A/N: **Hey I'm back. The creative juices are flowing again! (dances about) Yay! Writer's block, Writer's block, go away, and do NOT come some other day! lol I'm feeling hyper. Can ya tell? Unfortunately I might not be so peppy after writing this. See warning.

**WARNING! **This fic is rated M for a reason.You will not like this chapter. It might even make you cry. Things are about to take an ugly turn. I have that bastard Tenchi doing some pretty awful stuff to Hinata. No, not rape. Even Tenchi is above that. But you still might hate me after this...

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

* * *

"How is my fiancée this evening?"

Hinata's hair was yanked painfully from behind as Tenchi dragged her about to face him. He could see the terror in her eyes as she struggled to get free and gasped in pain. Ruthlessly, he threw her down the the ground and kicked her viciously in the side. Hinata felt all the breath 'whoosh' out of her and stars danced before her eyes. Somewhere in the shadows she heard a gasp, but before she could get her eyes to focus properly, Tenchi had thrust his face in hers and demanded, "Have you remembered, my dear? Who is The Raven?" He hauled her to her feet by her neck and shoved her against the wall. It was a good thing he was holding her, otherwise her weakened muscles would have failed her. She was incredibly weak from lack of food and water. Even more so than she might have been normally because of the precious cargo she carried.

Tears poured down her cheeks as she rasped out, "I-I d-don't-" Before she could get any further he had slammed her to the floor. Her head cracked painfully against the hard stones and she felt something hot and sticky seep down her face. It was blood. "You bitch! You know and you just won't tell me! I will make you tell me! You will tell me!" Tenchi's voice became more and more frantic as he lost control of his emotions. Hinata, not realizing the very real danger she was in, said nothing. She couldn't lie. She wouldn't dream of it. And at this point that was the only thing that could save her. Instead, she just lay there limply. She had had hardly any strength before he had come in and now what she had was gone. Her will to fight was squashed.

Another gasp from the shadows was heard by Hinata as a bone crushing blow descended on her leg. Blinding, searing, hot pain raced up her leg as a sickening crack was heard. She screamed and tried to roll over and get to her feet. Another blow hit her head, sending her crashing to the floor, landing on her broken leg. More blows rained down on her. She nearly passed out from the pain. Her vision had gone hazy and black. She was no longer fully aware of her surroundings. Dimly she realized that her body was giving up on her, but she wasn't concerned about herself. Her babies, what would happen to her babies? Her whole body felt as if it must be on fire. Blow after blow came until she wondered why she hadn't passed out. More than one bone was broken. Her skin was torn and bleeding, and all the while she was praying for someone to save her.

_Raven, Neji, Sasuke, anybody..._

But there wasn't anybody to hear her prayers. She closed her eyes and set herself to endure the pain. The words coming from Tenchi's mouth ceased to mean anything to her. She just wanted him to stop...

"ENOUGH!"

Hinata was now vaguely aware that there was somebody else in her prison now, but the only thing she cared about was that the abuse had stopped. She heard two voices behind her, but the word floated fuzzily around her head. She couldn't make sense of them and it was getting harder to think. She finally succumbed to the darkness that was pulling at her, and sank in to blessed nothingness.

* * *

Eri sighed and glanced back at the building she'd just left. It was after midnight, her client had kept her with him a very long time. She shifted her bag over her shoulder and winced a bit as she walked towards her home. The man had been rather brutal, she'd have to heal herself when she got back. _It is worth it though. Even when I meet bastards like him, I really need the money. I can't do anything else._ She continued walking down the silent street.

Eri was a rather attractive young woman. Her age wasn't quite definable, but if one had to guess it would probably be between 19 and 25. She had long black hair and green eyes. She was a bit taller than most females, but not by much. She was still shorter than most males. She wasn't super sexy and curvy either, but she had a nice figure, and a cute butt.

The one thing that made her different and unique from everybody else was that she could heal people. Well not everyone. She could only heal women. She wasn't quite sure why, the ability didn't run in her family. Her ability was just one reason she did what she did for a living. She was a prostitute.

When she was young, it had been just her and her mother. They'd been poor, but mostly happy. Her mom had managed to save enough money to buy them a small apartment. She was a prostitute too, a highly respected one that the brothels all wanted. She had encouraged her daughter to live differently than she did, she wanted Eri to have the chance she never had. But one day, a small fight broke out between the brothel Eri's mom worked for and another that wanted to buy her services from them. Her brothel refused to give her away and the other one became angry. They set up a client to lure her in and then murder her. Eri was left alone at the age of twelve. One of her mother's friends took her in, but it wasn't the same. Eventually Eri's gift was discovered and she was pressed in to service. She wasn't as good as her mother, but she had a fairly steady amount of clients coming to her, and the brothels paid her fairly well to heal the 'damage' done to their workers.

Lately life had treated her well. She had a chance of escaping the life she had been thrown in. She had started seeing somebody, a nice guy. He had treated her with respect, even after he'd found out about her occupation. They hadn't done anything, and for that she was grateful. He was an emotional shelter for her, somebody to hear her fears and comfort her. He was always there for her, and she'd grown fond of him. He loved her. He was fairly well off, with good prospects, and he had asked her to marry him. Eri was unsure as to her answer. She didn't love him, but she liked him and he was willing to do anything for her. She wanted to be in love with the person she married though, and somehow she couldn't bring herself to love Tenchi.

So she left him and started seeing another guy. Tenchi had then shown his true colors, he wasn't nice at all. She could hardly believe that he was the same man who had held her and comforted her. She felt sick. So, she turned to the new guy. She had fallen head over heals for him too, and he was equally besotted. The only thing was that he didn't know what she did for a living, and Eri wanted to keep it that way.

Finally Eri reached her destination. Sighing with relief, she reached out and opened the door to her apartment. She stepped in and closed the door behind her, and threw her bag on to the floor. Then she reached out to flick on the lights...The next thing she knew was that she was lying on her side, tied up, and gagged, in an unfamiliar place.

She'd struggled to get free for a bit, but then the guards had come in and dragged her away. She struggled against them fiercely, but she was no match for them. Then she was being led in to an office. Her eyes whirled around, she was terrified. What if somebody wanted to do her in? But then her eyes landed on Tenchi and it all clicked together.

"YOUGH BASTAD!" her muffled shout was torn from her lips.

Tenchi just smiled and gave a small chuckle, "Yes well, I may be one, but what does that make you, hmm?"

Eri didn't say anything. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She glared at him, hoping her terror didn't show in her eyes.

He smirked and leaned back in his chair, "Tie her to that chair, ungag her, and leave us." he ordered her guards.

She was forced to sit down in a chair, where the guards tied her up and ungagged her. They really overdid it with the knots. Did they have to be quite so tight? They left quickly, and the door banged against the wall. She saw Tenchi wince and took pleasure in the knowledge that he probably would have to fix his wall, and maybe the door.

She continued her silence, wondering what he was up to. She couldn't help the feeling of disgust that overwhelmed her.

Tenchi smirked again and leaned forward across his desk to address her, "So my dear, I have a...guest I who will need healing after I'm through with them. I know of your kekai genkai, so don't shake your head like that. And I have the means to expose your...shall we say occupation?"

He wouldn't...But she knew he would. And she really didn't want that information getting out to her boyfriend's family...He might accept it, but they wouldn't. She felt so angry. How DARE he? He was such a rotten, no good, bastard...

"We have a deal?" he asked.

"Yes." she said, inwardly cringing.

A slow smile spread over his face, "Time to go visit my fiancée then."

What had she done?

* * *

So now here she was, a blackmailed prostitute, walking down a hallway with her deranged ex-boyfriend to heal his fiancé after he beats her up.

Lovely.

Her life just kept getting more fucked up.

She followed Tenchi sullenly down the hall. She didn't dare try to run from him, and anyway she had to heal this woman. It was a part of her gift, she just couldn't NOT help somebody when she had the power to. It went against her grain, although if the brothels caught on to that they would exploit her for sure. Tenchi stopped before a keypad in the wall and began to punch in a code, not bothering to block Eri's view. She quickly memorized the code, who knew when it would come in handy?

The wall slid back to reveal a staircase and one of her guards. She glared daggers at the man as Tenchi lead her down the staircase and stopped before another keypad. She quickly returned her attention to him and noticed he was using the same code for this keypad as the other. She rolled her eyes. That was a huge mistake, and security personnel could inform him that is was prudent not to use the same code over and over.

The door slid back silently and Eri found herself facing a dim hallway with a number of doors lining the walls.

A dungeon. Eri snorted. _How dramatic and scary! _She thought sarcastically.

Tenchi made his way towards one of the doors and pulled a key on a chain from around his neck and fitted it in to the lock. Eri wacthed as he entered the room with a falsely cheerful greeting, "How is my fiancé this evening?"

Tenchi turned quickly and motioned her in after him. She crossed her arms and walked in the room. A very petite pregnant woman was lying on the floor, bound up and motionless. Eri quickly retreated to a corner of the room where the darkness swallowed her up. There was still enough light for her to see by filtering through the door. She watched as Tenchi yanked the womans hair back and proceeded to thrash her. Eri gasped and closed her eyes. She hated this, but she had been forced here and she didn't dare leave.

She could here her questioning the woman about The Raven and the woman's denial of any knowledge...The voice sounded so pitiful and broken that Eri opened her eyes, just in time to see Tenchi slam his foot on to the woman's leg and break it. She gasped again and watched as he totally lost control. He was beating on the woman so hard...A pregnant woman. The woman had curled up and was just enduring it. It almost tore Eri's heart out. It had to stop, it just had to. He was going to murder her if he kept at it, and there were some things that Eri couldn't heal...

"ENOUGH!" she shouted and grabbed Tenchi's arm in mid-hit. He quickly whirled about and bashed her across the face with his other hand. She let go of him and stumbled back, placing a hand over her reddening cheek, she glared at him, "What the fuck were you going to do?! Kill her?! You almost did you stupid bastard! I can heal most things but I can _NOT_ return somebody to life. Or rather_ somebodies_! She's _pregnant_! How could-what the _hell _is wrong with you?!" Eri knelt by the woman's side and checked her breathing and pulse. She was bleeding, but thankfully it wasn't too bad. She turned back to Tenchi. His eyes were wild as they looked at her with anger and hatred, but then all traces of his mood were gone, a mask sliding in to its place instead.

"You will heal her. The next cell over is unlocked and has been made in to accommodations for you. You will find any tools you my need there. I will see you later." Tenchi said, with a voice so calm and cilly hell might have frozen over. Eri shuddered and watched as he left. Then she turned her attention back to the hurt woman at her feet. She was in bad shape.

As she began to check her over, Eri felt herself getting angrier every minute. She felt disgusted as she checked over the injuries Tenchi had inflicted on the woman before her and then she felt horror begin to sink in. She would not be able to heal all of these injuries at one time. It was far too much for Eri to handle by herself. She could heal the wort of it, the breaks and some of the larger gashes, but then she would have to sleep to regain her energy. She would pass out if she overdid it, and that might end up hurting the woman more than it would hurt her. And then Eri noticed some disturbing symptoms.

Now she had another concern. This woman was obviously pregnant and Eri knew from experience that a large physical or emotional shock could cause a miscarriage, and that was the case with this woman. Her body had gone in to shock and Eri didn't think she could save both this woman and her baby. So she had a choice to make. Save the woman, or save the baby? Saving the woman was the obvious choice, but if she saved the baby she would at least get the woman out of Tenchi's reach.

_Save the woman. _She decided and then went to work.

* * *

Hinata woke up in pain.

The pain wasn't nearly as bad as it had been before, but it was still really bad.

She was aware that she was not bound up anymore, and that she was lying on something soft. She didn't open her eyes though. Something felt...wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She groaned, she was so thirsty, not to mention hungry. She wondered how long she had been out. A person could not survive very long without food or water.

She heard the sound of soft footsteps and then a door opened close by. Hinata tensed up and kept very still. She hoped that this wouldn't be a repeat of last time. But nothing happened. Nobody talked to her, or touched her, and yet she was aware that _somebody_ was in the room with her. But who?

Curiosity finally overcame her fear and she opened her eyes. She was still in her cell, but now she was lying on some blankets and there was a small table that was low to the floor placed at her bedside. A woman knelt beside her fiddling with something on the table. Hinata couldn't see her face, but she felt relieved that it wasn't Tenchi who she had heard.

While she watched the woman turned her head a bit and looked Hinata straight in the eyes. The woman let out a surprised gasp and then said, "Don't scare me like that! Make a little noise or something next time. Um, are you thirsty or hungry? I've got some food and water here." The woman picked up a glass of water from the table.

"Y-yes." Hinata said. The strange woman helped her sit up and drink the water, and then got a canteen and poured some broth from it in to a small bowl and handed it to Hinata. Her green eyes followed Hinata's every movement warily. But there was something else in their depths too. Pity.

After Hinata was through she collapsed back on to the blankets and said, "What h-happened? W-who are you?" The woman stared at her hands and avoided Hinata's eyes, "My name is Eri. Just Eri. I am a...a healer, I suppose you would call me." Hinata gave her a timid smile, "I'm Hinata." Eri nodded and continued, "Tenchi blackmailed me to heal you. I am just as much a prisoner as you." Her eyes regarded her unhappily, "I am sorry. I healed you mostly but I could not...could not..." Eri couldn't continue, she hadn't the heart to tell this woman about her lost children. Hinata looked at her worriedly a deep knot forming somewhere in her heart, "Could n-not what?" she whispered.

Eri took a deep breath and took Hinata's hand in her own. Hinata was surprised to see tears running down the other woman's face.

"I couldn't save your children." she sobbed quietly.

Hinata's breath caught in her throat and she laid a hand across her stomach.

She knew it was true.

And as Eri sobbed and wrapped her arms around her, Hinata was being consumed by darkness.

Silent tears streamed down her face.

Her hopes for the future were dashed.

Life was meaningless now.

* * *

**A/N:** (ducks flying weapons) ACK! Don't kill me! I had to do it. Sorry! Sorry! I had to do it! Anyway, I hope you guys well, um, maybe not loved the chapter, but, uh, liked it? (winces) The good news is I'm over the writer's block and hopefully chapters in the future will be as long as this one. (If I don't get killed by rabid fans) Please leave a review!

**IMPORTANT! **I have let you guys know that I'll be leaving for awhile during the summer and won't be able to update. :( I have put the approximate dates on my profile. I promise I'll be working hard on writing though!

**A BIG thanks to all who reviewed:** Lex07Gaa, JayT11111, DarkDecember93, EncHanTingMOon, Melanie Skye, STEVEO 352, IheartBankotsu, DJ, minniemousemom, Vindel, cherryvampire3, rallybabe89, RyterHarpie, Ivanika, and Gwynuvere.

**R**

**E**

**V**

**I**

**E**

**W**

**!**


	12. Eri's Plan

**A/N:** Wow. I am amazed at the review response! Oh and we've hit 200 reviews. YAY! Um, to clear something up, Hinata has been gone a few days when Sasuke and Neji find out, and when Tenchi beats her up she has been gone about two weeks, so in the story Sasuke and Neji are in the past and Hinata is in the future. Make any sense? Thought not. Ah well, just think about it. Oh I wanted to say that I believe in happy endings, so there will be one in this story. Thank you all for the support!

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Naruto.

* * *

_Recap_

At the end of the day Sakura went to go see Tsunade. She knocked on her office door, a frown pasted on her face. Hinata hadn't shown up for work the whole day, and that was really unusual for Hinata.

"Come in."

Sakura opened the door and sat down across from the blond Hokage who was bent over a ton of paperwork, "Hey Tsunade-sama. Did Hina-chan call in sick today?"

Tsunade looked up, "No. Wasn't she at work today?"

"No."

"Well that is strange. I think I'll-"

BANG!

The door flew open and hit the wall with a loud noise, cutting off all conversation as the stunned women looked around to see a very distraught looking Sasuke Uchiha. His eyes whirled around the office and landed on Tsunade as he gasped out his message, "Hinata's gone!"

The two women sat there in stunned silence.

And then the questioning began.

* * *

Neji walked slowly from the training grounds to his cousin's house with his teammate in tow. He had decided it was time for a bit of a visit. Neji was a bit overprotective of his little cousin, he would do absolutely anything to keep her from being hurt. Lee had decided to tag along too, he was thrilled that Hinata was pregnant and he wanted to see how she was doing. (Neji suspected that it was only because Lee thought that Hinata had a 'youth-fullness' about her, and of course that gave Lee a chance to gab about it) He ignored his teammate's babbling for the most part. Then his cell phone rang.

Stopping in his tracks he pulled it out and answered the call.

"Hello?"

there was a silence and then, "WHAT?!" Fury splashed across his features and Lee took a step back from him. Neji looked terrifying. Then Neji started running, Lee's startled call from behind him fell on deaf ears.

Only one thing mattered now.

* * *

BANG!

The door to the Hokage's office hit the wall for the second time that day, leaving a crater in the wall behind it and a distraught Hyuuga standing in the doorway.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO HINATA?! AND WHAT IS _HE_ DOING HERE?!"

Sakura winced and edged toward the wall. Neji was truly terrifying when he was angry.

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples. It was going to take major alcohol to get rid of this nightmare. "Sit down Neji, Sasuke. Sakura, why don't you...?" Sakura nodded, catching her drift at once, and left the room, carefully closing the door behind her.

The fuming men left in the room made no move to sit down, instead opting for glaring at each other. If looks could kill they'd both have been six feet under by now. _Actually in a manner of speaking, both of these men's looks can kill..._ Tsunade thought with a shudder.

"Alright. You two can just step the fuck off each other for a moment and listen to what I have to say. The testosterone in here is suffocating me." She glared at them as they each took a seat, as far away from one another as was possible. She rolled her eyes and got down to business.

Two pairs of furious eyes sought her_**s**_ and leveled their gaze on her.

"So, you guys wanna go on a mission?"

* * *

Eri held the weeping woman until she finally cried herself to sleep. Her heart ached for Hinata. Eri carefully rearranged the woman on her bed and gently placed a blanket over her. Then she tiptoed to her own cell and lay down on her cot. She left her door ajar so she could hear any sounds from the tortured woman's cell. She closed her eyes, she was exhausted. All that healing had really taken it out of her. It was only a minute or so before she slipped into deep slumber.

_2 weeks later..._

Eri closed the door to Hinata's cell with a worried sigh.

Hinata hadn't spoken since it happened.

Tenchi had been down a few times since then, to try and beat more information out of her, but the silver eyed girl said nothing. She didn't move. It was like taking care of someone in a coma; it was that unnerving.

Eri had hope that she would snap out of it, but so far Hinata had showed no signs of real life other than breathing and eating. Eri was relieved that she had at least she put some food in her body. This showed her that Hinata wasn't going to try a crazy suicide attempt. She wanted to live.

Eri listened carefully at the door to Hinata's cell for her breathing, and smiled when she heard her slip into sleep. Eri had a plan.

Eri made her way to the door and the keypad and quickly typed the password in. Smiling to herself, she slid the door open, stepped inside, and closed the door behind her. She paused at the bottom of the steps and thought about her next move, it depended heavily on the guard who was at the top of the stairs. She took a deep breath and started to adjust her clothing. She pulled her bra off, and dropped in on the floor, then pulled her shirt down so that it showed off much more than was decent, then she rolled up her shorts so far that they could be called briefs, and finally slid her hair out of her ponytail and arranged it around her face in loose waves.

Then an extraordinary change came over her, Eri the sensible, caring, and smart woman disappeared from her features and a trashy, wanton, vixen replaced her. She smiled a sultry smile and began to waltz up the stairs, hips swaying and lips pouting. When she rounded the last corner and the guard came in to view, she sighed inwardly in relief. It was one of her captors. It was important that it be one of them because they knew she was a hooker.

"Hey soldier."

The man started and started to say something, then stopped. His face went slack as he stared, and not at her face. Eri pouted, "It's pretty lonely down there, and a girl like me could always do with some company..." She walked up to him as she talked and reached out to run her hands across his chest. The man immediately dropped his weapons and pulled her against him. She let him fool around a bit, drawing him in, and then, while kissing him, she slid her hands to the back of his neck and pinched. The man went slack and hit the floor.

Smirking Eri wiped her mouth and readjusted her clothing. All prostitutes learned this trick, just in case they ever had to make an emergency getaway.

She knew the guard would be down for about an hour or more and that was plenty of time to alert her boyfriend that she wasn't going to be around and grab some stuff from her apartment. Eri wasn't planning on running, she wanted to help Hinata after all.

She quickly opened the door and peeked around it to see the hallway. Finding it deserted, she slipped out and made her way down the hall. If she remembered correctly, a door leading in to the gardens was just around the corner.

She found it and slipped outside, relieved that no-one had see her. Or not.

A pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her face and waist and pulled her in to the bushes. A hand clapped over her mouth and she was pulled down in to a crouch, which concealed them from prying eyes. She struggled against the arms holding her, afraid that it might be Tenchi. "Quit struggling! I won't hurt you!" a voice hissed in her ear. Definitely not Tenchi. She stopped moving and kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to be caught by Tenchi's men anymore than this person did.

She turned a bit to look at her captor and blinked in surprise, this man had the same eyes and odd colored hair as Hinata. He was also really hot. He looked at her coolly and spoke in a low voice. "Make one noise and I _will_ silence you. What do you know about this house?" he asked, removing his hand, though he did not relinquish his hold on her. Eri's eyes widened, maybe this sexy guy was after Hinata. Well she'd be more than happy to help him.

Eri looked in to his eyes, "You here for Hinata?" The man's eyes narrowed and his grip on her tightened, "What do you know about her?" he asked in a slightly strained voice. Eri gulped, this guy really seemed on edge, in a totally sexy way of course.

"Um, well I was kidnapped to take care of her."

"If you were kidnapped, why are you out here?" He glared at her, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Eri glared right back, "I am out here because I escaped to get help. I, uh, well I had to use my charms to get this far, so don't you dare fuck with me and accuse me of trying to do something bad to Hinata-chan! That poor girl has been through enough..."

"She was hurt?!" the man's grip on Eri was so hard she had to stifle a yelp.

"Y-yeah. Pretty badly, but I healed her..." she trailed off sadly.

Cold silver eyes hardened in her direction, "What aren't you telling me?"

Eri stiffened, she knew she couldn't lie her way out of this one. "She uh, she lost her babies. Tenchi, the guy who took her beat her so bad..." she answered, trembling with the remembered horror. A tear rolled down her face, soon followed by another. There was a sharp intake of breath from the man holding her.

"Is-is she going to be alright?"

Eri sniffled and nodded, "Yeah, physically at least, but mentally..." she sobbed quietly.

Neji let go of the sobbing woman and sat down on the ground in shock. Hinata was going to be devastated when they got her out. He glanced back at the crying woman next to him and frowned, she was obviously attached to Hinata for her to be so upset. He hated to see a woman cry. He did something then that he would never had done if he hadn't had Hinata on his mind, he took eri in his arms and comforted her.

He whispered their plan to her after she had cried herself out and he'd released her from his embrace. He could hear the Uchiha in the bushes behind him. He'd been there from almost the beginning of his interrogation of Eri.

"I have a better idea." Eri smirked after hearing their plans. "I'll tell you _if _you promise you will kill Tenchi in the most painful possible way you can think of _and_ let me watch."

"Done."

* * *

**A/N:** I just got some news today, I will not be traveling to Iowa this month after all. You might have heard already, but the Mississippi and some of the other rivers are flooding and there had been some pretty terrible weather down there, with tornadoes and all, and that boy scout camp being flattened. So my family has to evacuate their farms and move their stuff and the funeral will have to be postponed. AGAIN. I have a feeling grandma doesn't want to be buried just yet...So I will be able to update during that time.

**A BIG thanks to all who reviewed:** dark aura132, Lex07Gaa, rallybabe89, Vindel, Melanie Skye, puertorrican-babe, harley944, Lien Braska, Beabandit, IheartBankotsu, cherryvampire3, oOkuronekoOo, DeadCuteSpirit, winterkaguya, JayT11111, Hitensiababe, FireGirl19, KaRisa-Hime, milady.otaku, missmimi123,blackraven615, and Yuki The DayDreamer.

* * *


	13. Escape, Love, and Murder

**A/N:** A hUGE thank you to my wonderful beta rallybabe89. Thanks soooo much!

**Disclaimer:** Do I really gotta say it? (grumbles) I do NOT own Naruto. There, happy?

* * *

_**Escape, Love, and Murder**_

**_(Not Necessarily In That Order)_**

_Recap_

_He could hear the Uchiha in the bushes behind him. He'd been there from almost the beginning of his interrogation of Eri..._

Sasuke felt his heart freeze at the woman's words. Hinata had had a miscarriage. He was not going to be a father. But...

_THAT BASTARD!_

Icy hot fury scorched his mind and soul as he shook with the force of his rage. In the bushes in front of him, he could hear the woman sobbing, but it was as if the whole world had turned to ice and all that mattered was one thing.

Tenchi's death.

"Uchiha?" Neji's voice summoned him back to the present.

"Hyuuga." he acknowledged, slipping through the branches to crouch beside Hinata's cousin and Eri. He would have to take his revenge later.

There was a rescue to plan.

* * *

Eri slipped in to her apartment and started to pack.

She wouldn't be able to stay here any longer.

Tears ran down her face as her fingers fumbled with her clothes and small amount of belongings. She wasn't sure where she would go, but she had to leave.

Her heart had been broken again.

Not to mention that she had committed murder. And there was a witness.

Blood, blood: everywhere. That was what she saw. Her hands were still stained with it, even long after she'd washed down the drain.

Her boyfriend, the one she thought had loved her had betrayed her. She had gone to pay him a visit, only to walk in on a very compromising scene. She had slipped silently through the back door and crept up the stairs to his room, when some very familiar sounds had reached her ears. She had flung open the door to reveal her former lover engaging in an act with another woman. He had looked up and noticed her, his face flushed and sweaty. He had pulled away from the woman who smirked and vanished in to the bathroom as he faced her.

"What, you didn't think I was serious?"

Those words cut her like a knife. And something in her had snapped.

Screaming like a demon, Eri picked up the closest thing at hand, a metal lamp, and threw it at his head. It connected with a sickening crunching noise as he slumped to the ground, but she wasn't finished yet. She picked up the lamp again and continued to pound it against his head. The other woman came in to the room and started screaming, but Eri didn't stop until she tried to stop her. Then her attention had fixed on the woman. She had given an inarticulate roar of rage and launched herself at her. She had knocked the woman senseless and left her out for the count on the floor. She'd then washed the blood away and hurried off.

She had gotten back at somebody, at last, for the wrongs the world had done to her.

_But now is not the time to think about it_, Eri thought, angrily brushing her tears away. She shouldered her pack and left without a backward glance.

She had a job to do.

* * *

Tenchi was sleeping soundly in his bed.

He was unaware of the three people bent on his death entering his house.

Sasuke smirked as he got the last guard, this had been ludicrously easy; no challenge at all, just like Eri had said. Tenchi was an idiot if he thought he was safe! Now to the next thing, it was going to be his job to grab Hinata while Neji captured Tenchi. The coast was in the clear now, Eri had been a huge help with that.

At least three of Tenchi's men had been taken down by her. And all she had to do was look suductive and get close enough to them. He shook his head as he made his way towards the door where Eri said he could find Hinata. That woman was something, not even a ninja, yet she had all the makings of one, too bad she didn't go to the local academy when she was younger.

Sasuke peered around the corner, his sharingun swirling lazily; he didn't expect this to be difficult, but he wasn't going to let his gaurd down yet. This was his hinata, his lady, after all. He was armed with the password and ready to rock and roll as he located the secret door and stepped over the body of another gaurd. Eri whirled around, ready with a smile, when she sa it was him and dropped the pose. She jerked her head down the stairs and started down, Sasuke was close behind.

Eri led him down in to the dark, a chill creeped up his spine, but he also felt elated. He was going to see Hinata! Anger also permeated his being; how dare that bastard hurt his woman? Sasuke was feeling a multitude of things right then, anger, fear, trepidation, worry, love, hoyfullness, and anxiety. It was an odd combonation that might as well have sent him exploding in to a million pieces. If it wasn't for the thought of hid Hinata, that is.

They reached the bottom of the stairs at last, his heart seemed to pick up speed. And he scanned the area, noting that a door to his right was the one that held his lady love. He didn't even wait for Eri, he didn't bother to unlock the door either, he shattered it with an explosive kick and burst in the small cell. His eyes searched frantically for hinata until they finally landed on her. His stomach plummeted. She had changed.

Where once she had been happy, glowing with the beautiful light that seemed to belong onlt to impending mothers, she was dull, lifeless almost. She was curled on her side, facing away from him, but he could still tell. Her hair wa lank, it hung about her face unwashed, its luster gone. He frame was thin, not to the point of starvation, but it was defintely clear to him that she nedded to gain some weight. Soon.

He knelt beside her on the floor, wordless grief coursed through him. It was then that he truly comprehended what hinata must have gone through; or rather what she was still going through. And he also felt the slap of not being able to know he was the father of her children. He felt anger too, red hot like molten rock flodding through him, but he suppresed it and reached out to gently touch her face.

She did not stir. Sasuke caught his breath as he gently rolled her over to face him. Her breathing was shallow, but even and steady. He would have to get her to the hospital as soon as possible though. With a shaking hand he reached out to check her pulse. Steady and storng, he breathed a sigh of relief. Carefully he shook her, trying to rouse her, but other than a small whimper, she did not stir a muscle. He carefully pulled her in to his arms and stood, turning to go out of the cell. He passed Eri without even noticing her.

He walked up the stairs, going slow so he could gaze on her face. She was still angelic, even when she had been pounded almost to death.

Ever so slowly, he made his way to the meeting point, barely aware of eri trailing after him, checking that the guards were still out. He had eyes and thoughts only for the petite woman in his arms.

* * *

Eri sniffled and glanced at Sasuke's retreating back. She was touched.

She had had a feeling that this man cared for Hinata, but she had no idea how much he truly and deeply cared for her. she had a feeling emotion was something Sasuke Uchiha did not express well, but when he first laid his eyes on Hinata it was if a wall had been bashed down. such love and care emanating from the quiet and stoic man surprise her and made her upset. Why couldn't somebody care for _her_ that way?

But she couldn't feel jealousy, not towards Hinata. Not towards Sasuke. They had something special there. SAhe wondered if it was he who had fathered the children? But no, it had been the infamous raven, hadn't it? Hmm.

She sat down under the tree where Neji was supposed to meet up with Sasuke. Nobody had said anything about her staying with them, and yet she didn't want to leave. It was partly beacuse of Hinata, but if Eri wanted to be truthful she'd have to say it was also because of a certain silvery-eyed male.

She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Resting her chin on her jean-clad knees, she waited foe Neji and watched Sasuke cradle Hinata.

_I hope she's gonna be alright._

* * *

**A/N:** OMG I'm so sorry guys! I know this was really late, and this time I don't even really have an excuse besides being lazy. Go ahead, beat me up. I deserve it. I won't deny I could have update a helluva lot sooner. Sorry. (sighs) well i hope you did enjoy this chapter. It IS short, again. I have that unfortunate problem. Well leave me a review, and I hopefully will be able to update before I go to camp in another week or so, then you guys really won't see me for probably four to six weeks. Cuz I'm going to be majorly busy. I will write the upcoming chapters at camp, and hopefully update them asap as soon as I get back.

**A BIG thank you to all who reviewed ch 12:** Gwynuvere, missmimi123, STEVEO352, blackraven615, Vindel, HeWhoHasNoName, DJ, milady.otaku, JayT11111, EncHanTingMOon, minniemousemom, harley944, and DarkDecember93.

**And ANOTHER BIG thank you to everyone who reviewed ch 11:** dark aura132, Lex07Gaa, rallybabe89, Vindel, Melanie Skye, puertorrican-babe, harley944, Lien braska, Beabandit, IheartKenpachiKarachi, cherryvampire3, oOkuronekoO, DeadCuteSpirit, winterkaguya, JayT1111, Hitensiababe, HeWhoHasNoName, KaRisa-Hime, milady.otaku, missmimi123, blackraven615, Yuki TheDayDreamer, and DarkDecember93.

* * *


	14. Only Darkness

**A/N:** Okay guys, this is gonna be the last update before I go to camp. I'm not sure when the next one will be. Sorry. Probably in the middle of August, look for it then. I busted my butt getting this out on time so, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:**IDon'townNaruto!IDon'townNaruto!IDon'townNaruto!IDon'townNaruto!IDon'townNaruto!IDon'townNaruto!

I DON"T own Naruto! (pants) Geddit?

* * *

Neji was not too happy with his part of the mission. He had wanted to be the one to get Hinata, but had finally caved under Eri's insistence that it should be Sasuke and herself who went to retrieve Hinata. Neji had a feeling that he would never be able to say no to Eri. Just one puppy dog eyed look from her and his firmness crumbled.

And although Eri had a bad-ass look on the outside, he could see she was beaten and broken on the inside. He wanted to protect her, nobody should feel that bad. The moment he had first comforted her in the bushes he had felt a shock to realize how _lonely _she was, and what surprised him more was the answering echo within his own heart. He wanted to hold her, soothe her fears, and tell her she was special, not just an insignificant prostitute. The only other person who had ever been able to inspire a feeling of protectiveness in him at this level was Hinata. It was almost like being in love.

It was a simple matter to infiltrate TYenchi's compound and subdue the guards. Tenchi had hired some of the most worthless and pathetic Ninja Neji had ever encountered. Not one Jounin among them. In his opinion, this was more of a work out than a mission, it was too easy.

Tenchi really was an idiot, he had not planned for anything, least of all a rescue attack. His security was a joke. Tenchi's own skills were next to none, and his so called security was nothing more than some jumped up wannabe Ninjas. Tenchi wasn't prepared.

And he had messed with the wrong person.

Still, Neji didn't let his guard down for an instant. It almost seemed _too_ easy. Like a trap. Surely nobody was _this_stupid. But after taking out all of the guards surrounding Tenchi's private rooms, Neji had to admit; Tenchi was a true work of idiocy.

And on top of that, he was a really sound sleeper.

When he got to where Tenchi's door was, Neji located the keypad and held his breath while he tapped in the password Eri had given them. A green light blinked on and he heard the latch click. He smirked, Eri's hunch had been correct; every door was opened with the same password.

How pathetic.

The door opened silently, well oiled. Well that just made his job easier. As if it needed to be any easier. Another smirk tugged at his lips, this guy was just asking to have his house invaded. After slipping through the doorway and carefully shutting the door, he laid eyes on Tenchi.

The rich bastard was sound asleep and snoring. A puddle of drool was collecting on his pillow. He was sprawled across the bed, arms and legs hanging off the side, and the blankets tangled in a heap on the floor by his feet. Obviously a restless sleeper. Odd combination. Of course this was just another bonus for Neji, he wouldn't even have to activate his byakugan now.

_Now which limb to paralyze first?_ He pondered.

* * *

Tenchi was wide awake, bound, paralyzed, and gagged from head to foot. Neji had left him awake, he thought that it was only fair to see where you were being dragged. Especially when you were being dragged away by somebody who would just love to kill you. Preferably in the most painful way possible.

And he knew it.

He suppressed a chuckle at what Eri alone would love to do to him. That would be fun to see. The girl had a lot of fire in her. Hoisting the kidnapper-turned-kidnapee over his shoulder, Neji started to make his way to the meeting point.

_I wonder what the Uchiha is up to._

* * *

Eri smiled in relief as Neji walked in to view and unceremoniously dropped the bound and gagged Tenchi to the ground with a 'thump!'. He was probably going to get quite a collection of bruises before the journey was over. Eri got up and jogged over to him, his eyes fixed on her as got closer.

"Where are they?"

Eri swallowed the joy she had been feeling and glanced at the ground blushing. _Down girl! You don't have any right to go lusting after him. _She buried the embarrassment she was feeling and met Neji's cool gaze. Jerking her head towards the trees behind them she replied, "Sasuke-san took Hinata-chan and went that way. I think he was going to try and revive her. She's still out and I couldn't rouse her." Seeing how upset he looked she hastened to reassure him, "Oh, I think she's okay, at least physically. I think she might have sunk in to a self-induced coma. It is really rare, but not unheard of. Usually when somebody is under a terrific amount of stress. After her body realizes she is actually safe, she'll snap out of it, I'm sure." she said definitively.

She stepped closer so that they were almost touching and grabbed his hand and squeezed it in reassurance. She stared up at him with wide eyes and tried to ignore the pounding of her heart, "I know Hinata will be okay. I just _know_ she will."

Neji didn't say anything, and it took her a moment to realize that he was staring at their joined hands. Blushing, she pulled away from him and was half turned away when a strong hand grasped hers and the other grabbed her chin and gently, but firmly turned her face back to look him in the eyes. Her breath caught in her throat and her pulse quickened. He paused, not sure what had caused him to stop her. He looked straight in to her green eyes and offered her a small bittersweet smile, an unnameable emotion sparking in his own silver orbs.

"Thank you. For everything." he whispered. His thumb grazed softly over her cheek, but before Eri could respond, he was gone. He reached down and tossed Tenchi over his shoulder again and then started walking towards where Eri had indicated Sasuke and Hinata were.

Slowly, Eri lifted a hand to her cheek and laid it there. Her skin burned where he had touched it. Suddenly, she made up her mind.

"W-wait!" She ran towards his steadily retreating back, stooping while she ran by the tree to snag her bag. Neji had stopped, still facing the tree-line. Tenchi's eyes bored hatefully in to her as she neared them.

There was a questioning look on his face when she walked to face him.

"Let me go with you. I-I mean, I don't have anything left here and I'm worried about Hinata-chan." she paused and chuckled, trying to be nonchalant under his piercing gaze, "I won't slow you guys down." She tried to smile but failed utterly when he lifted his free hand to brush her cheek again.

"No, I'm sure you won't"

Walking by her, he jerked his head in indication that he wished her to follow him. Eri fell in to step behind. A grin plastered on her face.

* * *

Sasuke was frightened. An emotion he wouldn't admit to openly, but couldn't help but feeling sometimes.

Hinata still had not woken.

He had tried everything, starting with all the physical means he could think of, to wake her.

First he had tried shaking her, splashing water on her, pinching her, and even slapping her in his frustration. He had felt horrible doing it, but she just had to wake up. She was his world now, and without a world, there is only darkness.

Next came all of the psychological things he could think up. Sasuke tried talking to her, saying her name, singing, humming, and kissing her. He had a feeling the last one would have gotten him killed if her cousin had been there. It had been by no means a chaste kiss.

All he could do now was hold her, fighting tears back. Tears that threatened to fall with each passing minute. tears that had been locked up for too long. He rocked her in his arms and told her how much he loved her, how sorry he was, and what he was going to do when he got his hands on Tenchi.

Hinata remained oblivious to it all. Sasuke felt his hope slipping, giving way to despair. His world was slowly giving way to the darkness that had threatened him for so long now.

He felt almost lifeless, dead to everything except the icy numbness at the edge of the dark. He couldn't summon the will to respond to anything. Not even when Eri and Neji arrived. They had to coax him along, meanwhile the ice had stolen over him. Wrapped him in a dull soothing bandage that left him uncaring as to what happened. The only thing that mattered was Hinata. he refused to relinquish his hold on her, even to her cousin. He carried her all the way back to the village. Three weeks of traveling in the dark.

And it helped somewhat, the icy dark.

For in a black oblivion, you need not feel or worry about anything.

* * *

**A/N: **My friends think I'm too weird. I am the epitome of the happy, bouncy, non-cursing, honor student and here I am writing this really dark depressing romances. Well that's what my name is all about the Demonic Dragon Eyed Chick. Key thing that only my thoughts are bad, and as we all know the eyes are windows to the soul. lol I'm getting too deep here! Thank you guys so much for supporting me through this. You won't believe it, but we're already nearing the end of this fic. Oh don't worry! We got a few chapters to get through yet. But soon, yea soon. Please leave a review!

**A BIG Thank you to all who reviewed:** DarkDecember93, JayT11111, RyterHarpie, STEVEO 352, Hitensiababe, Vindel, chriss101, DeadCuteSpirit, IheartKenpachiZaraki, blackraven615, harley944, winterkaguya, Gwynuvere, Lien Braska, rallybabe89, minniemousemom, aku.ebi, and fan of your fic.

Phew. You guys ought to consider shortening your names, or making 'em easier to write. But then, I'm a fine one to talk! lol Of course ya can all call me DDEC or Liz ;)


	15. Musical InterludeAN and sneak peak

Sorry!

**I hate when authors do this too! Just hear me out.**

I have gotten back from camp (yay) And I wanted to let you all know that the next update should be along in a few days. celebration! Whooh!

Okay so I wanna do a quick check Who is for a Neji/Eri pairing and who isn't?

Review and say Yay or Nay

Thanks for all you guys who have come so far with me!

Love

DDEC

* * *

**A/N:** I just saw something about a 'Musical Interlude' Which is baisically a filler, but have fun! This is a sneak preview to my Sasu/Hina oneshot, **_The Colors of a Hidden Rose_**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto!**

**Summary:** Sasuke and Hinata are sent on a mission, where some hidden feelings become evident when they are stranded in a blizzard. Alone. Sasu/Hina oneshot Lemon?

Character ages: approx. 22

_'thoughts'_

* * *

Sasuke growled to himself as he stalked down the hall to the Hokage's office. Why call him now?! He just got _back _from a mission and now the old drunken bat wanted to send him on another one? Sure, he'd do it, but he was looking forward to a little time off!

Without bothering to knock Sasuke slammed the door open and stepped in to the room. He was surprised to see the timid Hyuuga heiress, Hinata, there. His stomach dropped a bit and he began to feel warm. He met her eyes and she looked at him, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. She was so beautiful...

Hinata could hardly believe he was staring at her. She couldn't look away, even when she felt her cheeks getting hotter.

They were locked eye-to-eye as Tsunade scowled at Sasuke, though she was trying to hide a smirk.

"What the hell is your problem? You don't just barge in here! Ah well, never mind. Have a seat."

He didn't answer, merely glared and took a seat. He tried to hide the unbalanced feeling he got from being in such close proximity to the one female who he had ever admired from behind a scowl. Tsunade sighed a bit exasperatedly; why couldn't young people just see what was right in front of them?. She rubbed her temples.

"Now," she began, pinning the both of them beneath her stern gaze, "As you have probably guessed, I have assigned you two a mission. It's an A-rank mission and must be completed as soon as possible."

Hinata nodded and Sasuke scowled. Hinata was a bit surprised to have been paired with Sasuke, but an A-rank mission might require both their bloodline traits.

"S-so it's r-really urgent?" Hinata asked. Sasuke frowned in annoyance, a woman her age shouldn't stutter like that, even though she was adorable when she did.

Tsunade sighed and folded her hands on her desk, "Yes, this mission is pretty urgent. I put you two on a team to get it done quicker. The objective is to track down a thief who has just recently acquired a scroll of great importance. The scroll was being delivered by a nobleman, but he was attacked on the way here and the scroll was stolen. It is your job to track him down and get the scroll back before they reach the borders. And I need you two to keep this under wraps, eh? This scroll, well I don't want it getting out that it was stolen. Any questions?"

"Where was the scroll stolen at exactly?" Sasuke asked. Wondering what that scroll was. It had to be pretty important to gain A-rank, either that or the thief was quite powerful.

"The nobleman wasn't sure, but he gave an estimate of about a half-mile away from the Konoha gates. This occurred early yesterday morning. Anything else?"

Hinata and Sasuke remained quiet.

"All right. I want you to head out immediately, and return within the next week or so. If you are not back or have not sent word, then I will send another team out to find you. Is that clear to all of you?"

"Y-yes, Tsunade-sama." Hinata said

Tsnuade smiled at her and winked, "Good luck, Hinata-chan. I give you permission to hurt Sasuke if he bothers you."

Sasuke glared at her.

Hinata blushed a dark shade of red and ducked her head to stare at the floor, "I-I don't think that'll b-be necessary, Tsunade-sama."

The older woman shrugged in faked nonchalance. "Okay, whatever, get going. Don't fail me, or it'll be your heads!" She smirked at Sasuke, who returned it with a death-glare. Ah, one of the perks of being the Hokage! She got to raise some really stubborn ninja's blood pressure without the fear of getting killed.

They both got up from their seats and turned to leave, but stopped when Tsunade waved at them to gain their attention.

"Oh and one more thing. There is supposed to be a really bad snowstorm coming in within the next week or so. Dress warm and bring some extra supplies, I don't think you'll be caught in it, but be prepared, just in case."

Sasuke nodded once, and turned to leave, not bothering to see if Hinata followed him.

Hinata thanked Tsunade and left the room in a hurry, trying to catch up with Sasuke.

"S-sauske-san!" She called after his retreating back, hurrying along the hall after him. He paused a moment and turned to look at her, his dark eyes regarding her coolly, though inside his chest his heart beat rapidly against his ribs. She panted as she caught up, "Ano, I just, j-just wanted to a-ask wh-when you wanted to m-meet?" she asked, her silver eyes wide, her heart was beating no less rapidly then his.

His stoic face betrayed nothing of his emotions, and he remained silent. Hinata blushed again and started poking her fingers together, obviously nervous. _'Damn, is she that scared of me? Keh. What a foolish woman. But Kami, she is so cute.'_

"Meet me at the gates in an hour." he started to walk down the hall.

Hinata nodded to herself and asked, "W-what should I b-bring?"

Sasuke paused. "Pack the food and your stuff. I'll take care of the tent." With that, he continued walking until he was out of Hinata's sight.

_'Wait, did he say "tent" as in only one tent?'_

* * *

Hinata sighed and glanced again at the back of her silent teammate. He had hardly said two sentences to her since they had gotten the scroll back. But he looked at her, constantly. And she couldn't help her racing heart and easy blushes when she caught him at it. His eyes always seemed kinder, softer somehow, when he looked at her. She wondered whether it was just her imagination, or whether the handsome Avenger might actually like her.

She knew how _she_felt, she had long ago given up on her crush of Naruto and switched over to his raven-haired teammate instead. Even though she detested the idea of being just another fangirl. But being Hinata she hadn't gathered up enough courage to confront him about it yet.

She remembered when she first began to think about Sasuke.

It had been when Naruto had dragged him back. A nostalgic smile lit her face, she remembered how she had been happy that they'd gotten back safely. She had still been in training then, and she had been one of the few trainees to help treat Sasuke, much to the envy of many other girls. He had been beaten up pretty bad, compliments to Naruto. He had defended his actions by saying that it was the _only_way he could have gotten Sasuke to come home. And that was what got her thinking.

It was amazing, this man's dedication to a goal. And then she started to remember other things, little things. But in every way he started to grow in her estimation until she had fallen in love with him. Naruto was still her best friend of course, but now she didn't cry when he ignored her in favor of Sakura.

She really did fall in love easily, she thought ruefully. The guy never even had to put out any effort and she had fallen for him.

She sighed shook her head. She reminded herself she was still on a mission, and that she should keep her head on it. Not up in the clouds with a very sexy Uchiha.

The mission had been relatively simple, and now the thief was dead and the scroll secured and in Sasuke's possession. Their journey had taken longer then they had expected though. The thief had proved quite slippery and hard to track. They had almost run out their deadline, and had sent a message ahead to Tsunade to let her know they'd be late.

They were worn out from the fight, but when Hinata suggested that they stop for the night at the nearest village's inn, Sasuke had grunted and told her they'd try to get back as soon as possible; they'd wasted enough time already. Hinata was a little worried about the promised storm, some merchants on the road had passed them and warned them, but Sasuke had ignored them, so Hinata kept quiet.

They hadn't really slept well the past week, one or the other stood watch while the other got some sleep. Neither of them slept well though. The temperature had dropped every evening and both of them virtually froze. Hinata was still relieved that she hadn't slept with Sasuke in the tent with her, she was just too shy, but now she was a little apprehensive. After all, there was no need to set a watch now, and they both needed the rest. It was starting to get dark they'd stop pretty soon. Her face was painted red, and not just from the weather.

"Ano, Sasuke? W-we should stop s-soon, it is getting d-dark." Sasuke stopped walking and stared ahead, not looking back.

"Hn."

Hinata took a step forward and, in a bold move, placed her hand on his arm. "D-do you want m-me to look f-for a good spot?" she asked peering up at his face. He shifted a bit, and her arm slid from his. He looked down at her, "If you want."

She took a deep breath as he took a couple steps off the path to lean against a tree. She tried to ignore the tingling in her belly as he stared at her while she activated her Byakugan and searched the nearby forest for a secluded and sheltered spot. They were lucky.

Deactivating her blood-line trait, she turned to him, "Th-there is a little cave, not f-far from here." He nodded, pushed away from the tree, and gestured for her to take the lead. She did so with a deep breath to calm her jittery nerves. She would be alone with him, yes, but at least they wouldn't have to share a tent. Tonight, anyway, that is.

* * *

Hinata spread her sleeping bag on the opposite side of the fire that Sasuke had spread his. He had already bunked in for the night, and was lying on his side, facing away from her. She quietly slipped in and closed her eyes. The wind outside the cave was picking up, they had gotten to shelter just in time, it seemed. The wind didn't reach them though, the entrance of the cave was small; they had to crawl to get inside, and it also curved a bit before opening up in to a small area that was just big enough to hold them and their supplies and still have space for a fire. She fell asleep.

Later Hinata woke up shivering, the fire was out. She coughed, her nose was all stuffy and her throat was scratchy and sore, and then she coughed again. Her body suddenly felt horribly achy and weak. _'Oh no! I got a cold?!' _She sat up and tried to look around, but the darkness was so absolute, she could see nothing.

"Sasuke?" her voice was so raspy, she could hardly believe it.

She slithered out of the sleeping bag at his grunt. A muffled curse and the sound of somebody stumbling in the dark reached her ears.

"I'll get more firewood." she nearly jumped at the sound of his voice. She froze as she felt him brush past her. She blinked her eyes, trying to adjust to the minimal light.

_"Damn!"_

Hinata jumped again and coughed. Shivering she swallowed and called out, "Wh-what is i-it?"

She heard him make his way back to the dead fire and start fussing with it. A small spark burst in to being, followed by a small flame. She blinked against the brightness of the dancing flames after so little light. Sasuke was facing towards the fire, with an armload of wood. She could see the large pile they had stacked earlier against the wall. She shaded her eyes with her hand and watched him stoke the fire to a good blaze.

Eventually he turned and grunted, "The cave's blocked. The snow is covering the entrance. We'll have to stay here for a few days and wait for the storm to calm down."

She nodedd and coughed again, a raspy wheezing, hacking cough that made her dizzy. She groaned, leaned over, and clutched her throat. She felt really weak all of a sudden, her head was spinning and the cave walls didn't seem to want to stay put.

Black eyes regarded her with concern, "Hey are you okay? Hinata?!" Sasuke moved to her side and gripped her arm, "Hey are you sick?" She gasped and nodded weakly, her head still bowed. Sighing, Sasuke gently lowered her back on to her sleeping bag. "You just stay put, alright?" he said, pulling the covers over her again with another sigh.

_'Great. Now he'll think I'm a weakling too, just like my clan.'_

She closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing, but another cough tore through her body, causing her to shudder violently. He frowned, though Hinata, who still had her eyes closed, didn't see. It was a frown of concern, not annoyance. He tucked her in and shifted her a bit closer to the fire.

"You rest, I'll see if we have anything for your cough."

He got up and went over to their bags, and began searching for some medicinal substance that would help Hinata. He found what he was looking for and returned to her side.

"Hey," he shook her gently, and then jerked his hand away. Her skin was on fire! She had a raging fever. Cursing, Sasuke got up and went to the entrance of the cave. He needed to cool her down, and to do that he would need ice. Or snow, which was the most handy at the moment. He scraped some away from the entrance and took off his shirt, carefully, he transfered the wet stuff in to his shirt and wrapped the cloth around it. He tied the arms together, returned to her side, and placed the bundle on Hinata's forehead.

He then got up and grabbed a spare shirt from his pack. He returned to Hinata and sat next to her, leaning on his knees by his arms and watching her.

* * *

He had lost track of time when Hinata's fever broke. He had stayed with her the entire time. But now she was shivering. Sasuke knew he had to warm her up, but even with the extra blankets, she still didn't seem warm enough. He guessed that at Hinata's size, it would be very difficult to retain body heat for very long. She was just so petite. Sighing, he pulled the covers up and slid in next to her. She didn't stir, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to find out what would happen if she woke up to find him cuddling with her.

He smirked at that thought. _He _wouldn't mind in the least. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around her torso and pulled her small soft body against him. She murmured and turned to nuzzle against his chest. He froze, but all Hinata did was take a deep breath and sigh. She was still asleep.

Under the blankets it was very warm. And although Sasuke had promised himself to stay awake, he had been up for too long to do that effectively. He caught himself starting to doze off and jerked himself awake. And then again. Until he finally drifted off to join Hinata in slumber.

* * *

Hinata woke feeling warm. She felt cozy and safe. A soft weight was pressed against her face. The warmth seemed to emanate from all around her body, enveloping her in a cocoon of heat. She didn't want to move. She just wanted to lay there and relax. It felt so peaceful. There had rarely been any moments when Hinata had felt truly at ease and happy. She did now. Even her throat felt better, a little dry, but not nearly as bad as it was. She snuggled closer to the warm blankets, but to her surprise, they didn't move the way blankets should move. Opening her eyes she found herself staring at a chest. A very masculine chest.

Her eyes widened and she sat up quickly. Sasuke was sleeping right next to her! And then she realized.

_She had been snuggling up to him!_

Hinata felt horrified. What would her father think? Oh, she knew quite well! Sure it was one thing to let Kiba or Shino cuddle her when they went on a mission, but Sasuke was pretty much a complete stranger! She stared at him, wondering why he had decided to sleep next to her.

He looked so young, fast asleep. Vulnerable. Looking at him, she could almost get a glimpse of what a carefree boy he had been before the Uchiha massacre. The scowl that was ever present did not stain his feature in sleep. His hair was mussed. All in all Hinata felt her heart beat faster just by looking at him.

His arms had been wrapped around her, she realized. One of them was still resting around her waist. She gently tried to move it off, but a scowl fixed itself on Sasuke's face. She held still, as still as she could. She didn't think he had woken up, but his hold on her was restrictive. He just would not let go!

"Aah!" Hinata let out a surprised yelp. Sasuke was awake, and staring at her. But what had caused her to yell was the fact that he had pulled her back down and then against him. She didn't know what to do. She was inches away from his face. Eye to eye and she could almost see the heat radiating from her face.

Smirking Sasuke decided that this was a most pleasant way to wake up. He leaned closer, one hand trapping Hinata's head so she couldn't move, and whispered in her ear, "You should be resting." She just gaped at him. How could he just...? He was teasing her! Her eyes widened in shock. He was teasing her!

Sasuke chuckled at her obvious surprise. She was so adorable. Hinata blushed and looked away. She struggled faintly against his arms. She tried to push him away, but Sasuke just held on tighter.

"Stop that."

She froze again, and turned her head to look at him, "Wh-what are y-you doing?"

"It's cold. And if you get up now, it'll be colder. I don't want to get up just yet, so I think you should stay right here."

She just looked at him in disbelief.

He smirked again, "What, you aren't uncomfortable, are you?" Hinata's cheeks turned a darker shade of crimson and she shook her head. His voice rumbling in his chest was doing odd things to her body. And...she didn't feel uncomfortable. Just a little embarrassed.

"Good." Sasuke mumbled, closing his eyes again. She watched him for awhile, and listened to his breathing slow down and felt his body relax. She sighed and cuddled up closer to him, closing her eyes. She might as well make the best of it. Her mind was still in shock of course, but she was tired and soon enough, she too fell asleep. Not before she noticed his scent though. It was intoxicating, and comforting. Citrus and warm. Very manly...she thought before she drifted away in to the hold of sleep.

* * *

Sasuke opened his dark eyes to a quiet cave. Hinata was sleeping peacefully at his side, snuggled against his chest. A smrk crossed his features. He had actually been surprised at his reaction to her reaction of them sleeping together. A flash of dirty images washed over his brain and he grunted. Damn! He was going to be just as bad as his sensei if he didn't watch it.

He shifted his head around so he could gaze at the woman by his side. Hinata's eyes were closed with her dark lashes lying curled upon her slightly tinted cheeks. The warmth of the fire washed over them, and with the glow of it, which made Hinata's ivory look pink. '_Like a rose.'_ Sasuke mused.

Hinata was indeed a lot like a rose. She had always held herself closed off to the world and hidden from it, and also like the flower, she had blossomed in to something truly beautiful. She had her thorns too, of course. Like any Hyuga, she could pack quite a punch. But as Sasuke lay there and gazed at her, it was hard to believe that such a fragile looking angel could hide a thorn. Of course, that was probably what the first human who had been pricked by a rose had thought too. Even when he had seen for himself what damage she could inflict with her hands. She had an innocence about her, a glow. An aura that was pure, lovely, and as fresh as the newly fallen snow.

He scowled.

Newly. Fallen. Snow.

Damn.

They were trapped.

_'But then again...'_ he thought as he watched Hinata shift slightly in her sleep,_ 'That may not be such a horrible thing after all.'_

* * *

_So I hope y'all aren't too dissapointed in me for not updating Broken Chains straight away. Review and I'll see yall soon!_

_DDEC_


	16. Return

**A/N:**Okidoki! I'm back and on track! So let's see, where were we? Ah ye! Sasuke and co were heading back to the village with a comatose Hinata...well let's see what happens next hm?

**Disclaimer:**I do NOT own Naruto!

* * *

They had finally returned. Rushing Hinata to the hospital had been their first concern, and the Hokage had met them there. Tenchi had been handed over and escorted away to await trial. Nobody had their minds on him though, they couldn't care less about his fate, it was Hinata they were concerned about.

Hinata had been promptly whisked away to be looked over by the doctors, and her rescuers were left to wait in worried silence. Sasuke hadn't wanted her to leave his arms, but he was smart enough to realize that she needed help, and that he could not give it to her. So he had relinquished his hold on her, and slumped against the waiting room wall. It was a private waiting room, often used for family members of a patient in critical condition.

* * *

Neji was bent over, head in hands, staring at the floor.

It was not a normal pose for the Hyuuga genius.

Eri snored softly at his side and Sasuke leaned against the opposite wall, staring in to space. They were all exhausted, he didn't blame Eri for falling asleep. She had been through so much. His eyes regarded the Uchiha with contemplation. He hadn't truly known the extent of his devotion to his cousin until he had seen the dark despair in his eyes. The way he had carried her, guarded her, and took care of her on their way back to the village was more than enough to convince Neji that the man was truly in love. He had backed off after his first attempt to take Hinata away from Sasuke  
had ended with Sasuke activating his blood limit.

It was out of character for him to do so, but Sasuke Uchiha had definitely risen in his estimation.

So now here they all were, waiting for news of Hinata. No doubt the rest of her family would show up soon; he had taken a minute to phone them. And given how fast rumors could circulate in the village, the rest of her friends should be showing up right around...

"WHAT HAPPENED TO HINATA?!"

...now.

Eri shrieked and jumped out of her seat, as a loud crash announced the arrival of one very loud blond guy rushing in to the room. Eri watched, dumbstruck as Sasuke casually leaned over and smacked him on the back of his head.

"Dobe." he said, settling back against the wall, with a hint of his customary smirk playing about his lips. Eri was relieved to see him finally snap out of his self pity, even if t was only to attack an innocent guy...

Neji didn't bother to hide his grin as he reached out to snag Eri's arm and tug her back to her seat. "Just wait a minute, after the affectionate insults, they'll settle down." he muttered in her ear. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and nodded. Then turned back to the scene unfolding before her.

"What the hell was that for, bastard?!" the blond shouted indignantly as another two people popped around the door and entered. A boy with a striped face entered and snorted, "Well that's obvious fox-boy. You're too loud. As usual." An agreeing bark came from behind him and Eri flinched as the largest dog she'd ever seen came around the door to sit by the newcomer's side. The other person slipped in quietly and took a seat beside Neji. Eri could see nothing of his face except a pair of sunglasses perched on his nose.

"Well Dog-breath, I was just worried about Hinata-chan. Don't see how that's a problem."

"It wouldn't be," Sasuke growled, "except that you can't seem to control the volume of your voice."

At this the blond smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, "Yea, well...So what is up with Hinata? Is she alright?"

"Of course she isn't 'alright', you idiot! She's in a fucking hospital!" He shouted, making the occupants of the room flinch and the dog's ears to flatten.

Sasuke was getting irritated with Naruto's concern for Hinata. He was well aware of the crush the woman had on him back when they were all genin.

The boy looked annoyed for a minute than sighed, "I just wanna know how she's doing, alright? No need to rip my head off. I'm sure Kiba and Shino wanna hear this as much as I do."

Sasuke just glowered. Eri rolled her eyes and proceeded to fill them all in. Neji remained quiet except for a few corrections to Eri's story. Sasuke just glowered in the background.

"So, is she gonna be okay?" Kiba asked worriedly, scratching Akamaru's head.

Eri sighed and looked at her feet, "I honestly don't know. I thought she'd snap out of it a few hours after we got her out of there, but after two days had passed..." she shrugged and let the silent worry hang in the air. Until somebody cleared their throat.

Neji looked up to see Hinata's father and her sister Hanabi in the doorway, it was clear that they had been listening for a few minutes by the anguish mirrored on both their faces.

"Hiashi-sama, Hanabi-sama, I would speak with you." Neji said, rising to his feet and leading them down the hall, closing the door behind him. Eri fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat as she felt the stare of the rooms remaining occupants land on her.

"So, where're you from?" Naruto asked.

Eri smiled weakly and melted under the questions that followed after.

* * *

Tsunade walked briskly down the hall, Sakura at her side, to let Hinata's friends and family know the news. She grimaced, it wasn't as bad as it might have been, but, Tsunade wasn't happy with the outcome of Hinata's imprisonment.

She sighed and opened the door to the waiting room to deliver the news.

* * *

"So that's how I ended up here" Eri finished her explanation. It had been sketchy at best (after all, she wasn't going to tell total strangers _everything)_but it was still enough to gain her the admiration of the males in the room. In fact, something that was a little more than admiration was glittering in Kiba's eyes. He was about to speak when a glare came from the Hyuuga male who had been watching the Inuzuka the entire time. Neji, Hiashi,and Hanabi had returned at the beginning of her story, and now the Hyuuga clan head spoke.

"So, you cared for my daughter?" he asked, his face a mask and his eyes penetrating. He had noticed the by-play between Neji and Kiba, even if the extraordinary in front of him hadn't. Eri nodded. "Well, then my clan owes you quite a debt. I would be honored to give you lodgings in the compound." Eri stammered her thanks out, momentarily speechless, but Hiashi just waved them away, "It was for Hinata." he said simply, and stared out the window. Hanabi slouched to the floor and stared at the wall. Everybody else went back to their former contemplations.

The door opened and everyone turned to face the Hokage, her apprentice a step behind entering the room. Tsunade blinked, "Well, what a ...gathering we seem to have here...Hiashi-san, would you care to speak with me?" she asked, turning to Hinata's father. Hiashi replied, "You may speak, Hokage-sama, to all who are here."

She nodded and started to speak but Naruto interrupted.

"What the hell is wrong with Hina-chan, granny?! You kept us waiting long enough. Scowls and reprimands of "NARUTO!" coursed through the room and Tsunade didn't continue until Sakura had him in a headlock with a hand over his mouth.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, the Hokage continued, "Alright here is the deal. Hinata seems to have slipped in to a coma. It is only to be expected after all she's gone through recently..." Sasuke clenched his hands over his arms, and a drop of blood ran down his arm and stained his shirt, "...So now all we have to do is wait for her to wake up. I would suggest that her closest friends and her family talk to her and stay with her as much as possible. Taking shifts if need be. She should snap out of it soon. Within a few days." The news was greeted with grim silence. Tsunade looked around the room, noting everyone's emotional states. Then she nodded to herself and excused herself and Sakura, as they had a lot of work to be getting on with. Sakura released Naruto, and much to everybody's surprise, the hyperactive boy slid down to the floor and stared at the floor.

Hiashi got up and muttered about taking the first shift, then stumbled from the room, with Hanabi following close behind. Kiba and Shino left without another word. Sasuke and Naruto didn't move. Neji looked over at Eri, who was almost asleep again.

"Do you want to go to the compound?" he asked.

Eri tried to answer, but a huge yawn emerged instead; she nodded her agreement. Eri groggily got to her feet and tried to stumble out the door. Neji frowned and followed her down the hallways and out to the streets. He started to lead her away, but after he had to save her from three nasty tumbles, he sighed and picked her up bridal style and carried her. Eri mumbled a bit and snuggled her face in to his chest. It made his heart freeze a bit, and then relax.

The guard at the gates was surprised to see Neji carrying a woman, but quickly snapped to and found an empty guest room for her. Neji waited impatiently as a branch servant hurriedly starightened the room, bowed, and left. He deposited Eri on the bed and covered her. She sighed in her sleep, and turned her face a bit. The moonlight streaming in from the window lit her face with an eerie yet beautiful glow that Neji just couldn't help but admire. With a soft smile, he slipped from the room and sought out his own bed.

* * *

Sasuke waited until Hiashi and Hanabi left and then took his turn with Hinata. He was irritated by Naruto's hovering, but soon the blond was fast asleep and snoring against the wall.

Sasuke studied Hinata's face. She breathed so softly, and her skin was so pale, even for her. He missed the usual blush that stained her face pink. He smoothed a limp strand of hair from her face and took her hand.

_Hinata, come back to me, please._

* * *

**A/N:** well, I'm sorry this was a little late, unfortunately my computer crashed, and we couldn't fix it. Then my dad, in frustration, smacked it, and lo! It started working perfectly again. Talk about funny. So thanks for reading and please leave a review!

DDEC

**A BIG thanks to all who reviewed:** fan of your fic, Hitensiababe, Reckoning in Death, SHeWithNoName, IheartKenpachiZaraki, Lavender, DarkDecember93, workshy, and realityfling18.

* * *


	17. In the Dark

**A/N:** Sorry...again. This time it was my dog's fault! Really! He spilled a bowl of soup all over our keyboard! Yuck. We had to get a new one. My school year is not off to an auspicious start...Oh dear. I do apologize for the length, I've been awful busy and I keep having these stupid plot bunnies pop and bounce about in my head, on top of my school work...argh. Sometimes school really sucks...Well, here you guys are, show me some love and review!

**Disclaimer:**I do NOT own Naruto.

* * *

Recap

Sasuke waited until Hiashi and Hanabi left and then took his turn with Hinata. He was irritated by Naruto's hovering, but soon the blond was fast asleep and snoring against the wall.

Sasuke studied Hinata's face. She breathed so softly, and her skin was so pale, even for her. He missed the usual blush that stained her face pink. He smoothed a limp strand of hair from her face and took her hand.

_Hinata, come back to me, please._

The clock on the wall ticked loudly in the quiet hospital room. Sasuke still sat by Hnata's side, whispering every once and a while to her in hopes of waking her.

* * *

(A Few Weeks Previously)

Hinata was numb as Eri took care of her. She didn't want to think, she didn't want to move...She wanted to just fade away. Not die, exactly, just disappear for a while.

She had lost her last link to The Raven.

Unimaginable grief washed over her in waves, followed by tidal waves of cold despair. She was barely even aware of her surroundings anymore. She felt herself slip in and out of sleep and every time she woke up, she wished that she hadn't.

And eventually, she didn't.

She knew she wasn't awake, and yet, everything seemed so vivid to her. Her real world had melted to become a soft silent place, one of comfort. She never wanted to leave, and she realized that she didn't have to.

So she stayed.

It was much easier in her dream world; she still had her friends and family and The Raven. In the very back of her mind she realized that this was all false, but she much preferred it to reality. Distant whispers came to her; she felt that her body (the physical one) was being moved about again. She feared that Tenchi had once again decided to torture her so she retreated further in to her dream world.

She felt happy there, relaxed as she never had felt before in her life.

Every time some nightmare popped up to rear its ugly head, she had her defenses. She buried herself so deeply in her mind that eventually even the physical awareness was gone.

So she swathed her mind in a thick bandage behind which she tried to heal.

Only she wasn't getting any better.

Every minute spent in her dream world only seemed to make the real one seem less real. She started to become confused.

Who was she?

Why was she here?

And when she remembered, she was so frightened that she hid herself away even more, and that didn't help at all. It was a never ending circle which she couldn't break free from.

She wasn't even sure who she was anymore.

She wasn't Hinata anymore, Hinata was a stranger with frightening problems. She was...Well she wasn't sure what she was. A sense of peace flooded her mind.

She didn't care anymore.

So Hinata began to fade away.

Within her own mind...

* * *

Naruto sighed and lifted his head from his hands. It was his turn on "Hinata watching" and he found himself to be feeling more down than he had ever felt before in his life. Even when he was ignored as a child didn't compare to this.

As a ninja, it was a fact of life that you might never see one of your friends again after they had gone on a mission. But Hinata hadn't been on a mission. She'd been kidnapped. And while it was understandable that she was in a state of shock, especially all that she had gone through, he didn't 

understand what was taking her so long to come back to them. He longed to see his friend's silvery eyes once more, see her blush, and hear her giggle.

It had been another week since she had arrived back.

He glanced over at her prone figure. She was now hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor. Another special monitor watched her brain waves, which were disturbingly quiet and had become increasingly so every day she had lain there. She didn't even look like herself anymore. She had wasted away. Her body, so petite before, had basically become so thin that one could almost see what she would look like without any flesh at all. He shuddered.

"Come on Hina, we need you back with us..." Naruto whispered to himself.

A quiet footstep in the door showed that Sasuke had arrived.

He didn't look much better than Hinata. Naruto's best friend had been reduced to a scarecrow. His face was gaunt, his eyes haunted, with dark bruises beneath them. Sasuke had barely spoken three sentences since coming back. He had spent every second he could of his time with Hinata, and what time he couldn't was spent at the training grounds, beating anybody who came near to a pulp. It got so bad that no one would train with him. Naruto had come across Sasuke beating up a tree the next day...

He sighed and got up, watching as Sasuke ignored him in favor of staring at Hinata's face with a delirious hunger in his eyes.

It hurt to watch.

Naruto turned away and walked out.

He would hope that tomorrow would be a better day.

* * *

**A/N:** Oooh so depressing! And I'm feeling almost the exact opposite. Oh, I wanted to know, what fic should I work on next (after the Chains series of course) Check out my profile for my 'Future stuff' and drop me a line.

1 Blood Upon The Snow -Naruto Ita/Hina

2 Bloody Hell -Hellsing Alucard/oc

3 Desert Wind -The Mummy Ardeth/oc

4 Melody -LotR oc/?

5 The Least Likely Bride -PotC Jack/oc

6 An Artist's Love -Naruto Dei/Hina

Bye guys!

**A big thanks to all who reviewed:** milady.otaku, blackraven615, winterkaguya, IheartKenpachiZaraki, realityfling18, RyterHarpie, Reckoning in Death, Hitensiababe, harley944, JayT11111, Vindel, wokshy, rallybabe89 Lien Braska, DarkDecember93 :) , and minniemousemom.


	18. Another Return

**A/N:**OMG WE'VE HIT 300 REVIEWS! YEAEAHAHAHAHA! Whoo! (coughs) sorry, had to get that out of my system... Hehehe So, I'm sorry this seems so depressing, but I promise that this chappie will make ya all happier. (winks) So far we have votes of 6 for ita/hina and for 3 dei/hina and 1 for Arucard/oc. Let me know if you want more! My beta unfortunately did not get back to me so forgive me if I did not get eveything right.

DDEC

**Disclaimer:**I do NOT own Naruto.

* * *

_Recap_

Naruto turned away and walked out.

He would hope that tomorrow would be a better day.

* * *

Sasuke watched Hinata. He felt so frustrated, angry, and confused.

Frustrated because there wasn't anything he could do and angry because Hinata was still sleeping, and confused because Tsunade had told them that Hinata should be up soon and she wasn't. It was all maddening beyond belief. Nobody was able to wake her. Not even the ones she missed the most.

_'...No'_

It couldn't be, it was just too awful to contemplate. She couldn't have been that attached to...him...could she? Sasuke shuddered and looked more closely at Hinata's face. Well, there was only one way to find out.

As much as it ripped his heart in to shreds, he couldn't let her fade away even if it caused him pain.

He took a deep breath, got up, and then knelt by her side. He looked down at the woman he loved. She looked so bad, it hurt to see her suffering even if she was completely unaware.

Time to put his plan in action.

He leaned down placing his lips as close to her ear as possible and whispered.

"Hinata..."

* * *

Hinata was barely aware of anything, she had faded almost all the way. She wouldn't last much longer. She was happy though, in the dim fog that was left of her mind, she felt peaceful.

Then the piece shattered in to millions of fragments. A million images crashed through her mind. It staggered her, she shook underneath the force of it. She tried to sort through the memories, but it was coming too fast. Too fast and too much! And then...

Somebody was calling her name!

Her name, she had a name? Yes, Hinata Hyuuga. There it was again...

_"Hinata..."_

Wait, she knew that voice! That voice, she could never forget it. No matter what.

_"Hinata!"_

Raspy, deep, warm, calming...

It was The Raven.

_"My lady, wake up, please..."_

_"Please. I-I love you, I need you. Your family need you. Come back."_

He loved her?!

She had to answer him, she had to! But how? She struggled against the fog that tried to smother her again. NO! She had to answer. She had to tell him...She had to...

Fear and grief began to overwhelm her. Uncertainty plagued her. She didn't want to face it, she began to shy away, her resolve faltering...

_"Damnit Hinata! If you don't return to me..." _His voice. It was the voice of someone that was about to cave in, give up. Heavy with despair...

Yes, she could return now.

Nothing would stop her.

He needed her.

With a grim determination she fought the fog and started to come back to herself.

* * *

Neji walked briskly up the side walk to the hospital. It was his turn to watch Hinata and relieve the Uchiha. Not that Sasuke would listen. He would stay with her no matter what.

Eri was walking alongside him. She was just as eager as he was to see Hinata. She was sad too, but so far she had held out the hope that Hinata would be okay. After all, when she had work, she had seen much worse.

Drug addictions mostly, but it was the suicidal despair that was the most dangerous. It sucked the poor women down and left them to rot. She had been able to save some of them, and she had shed a hundred tears for those she could not.

So it was with a heavy but optimistic heart that she walked in to the hospitel with Neji.

They made their way up to the level Hinata was on. They had much her to the critical condition ward seeing as she was in a coma.

They made it to her room and walked inside, to both of their surprise, Sasuke was bent over close to Hinata's head.

And he was crying.

He whipped around as they entered, and then hastily turned away, hiding his emotions and getting control of himself.

Eri tried to ignore it for his sake, and averted her eyes. Neji simply took a seat and turned his silver eyes on to his beloved cousin.

It was quiet, nobody said a word.

It was so quiet that they were able to hear a tiny noise below the sound of the monitors.

"Ra...ra..."

Eyes wide, Eri and Neji rushed to Hinata's side, not noticing the extreme grief written on Sasuke's face.

"Hinata." Neji said, his eyes wide with hope.

"Ra...ra..."

Eri and Neji smiled. They had definitely seen her lips move.

But what did 'Ra' mean?

"Ra...ra." her voice was soft, but her face was screwed up now, and her voice became stronger.

"Rav...RAV..."

Eri and Neji exchanged a look.

What the hell?

"RAVEN!"

They both jumped startled, as Hinata yelled the word. Her voice was hoarse from disuse. But now her eyes were open, running wildly about the room, searching for The Raven. She was so agitated that she didn't even see Neji at first.

When she saw that The Raven was not there, Hinata slumped back on to the bed. "Owww." She moaned, raising a shaky hand to her forehead."

"Hinata-chan!"

"Hinata-sama!"

She knew those voices...Neji! and...Eri?

She opened her eyes and winced at the light. It had been too long. She blinked like an owl until her eyes adjusted.

With a bit of surprise she noted that both of her hands were enveloped by other hands. She stared with wide eyes at Neji and Eri. Where was she?

Her mind was scattered, she was unable to gather her thoughts.

Where was The Raven?

That was why she'd come back after all.

Suddenly she felt tired, so very tired. She tried to speak with her friends, but blackness overtook her.

Before she closed her eyes, she noticed a dark figure retreating through the door to her room.

_'Raven..."_

Sasuke fled the room. His heart was breaking, she still loved The Raven. It was the other part of him she cared about the most. How could he go on with her heart always held by his other self? It was maddening!

Well, he could...No. If ghe did that she would never forgive him.

But what about if The Raven...?

Yes that would do it.

* * *

**A/N:** Well! That didn't take too long! A new thing for me. So let me know how you liked it.

**A Big thanks to all who reviewed: **winterkaguya, mac2, workshy, Sincerely- MiSS J, Estheriana, Olaf74, milady.otaku, IheartKenpachiZaraki, MD 1 HINATA18, RyterHarpie, Reckoning in Death, STEVEO 352, Hitensiababe, kaatang013, blackraven615, and harley944.

* * *


	19. Return of a Bird

**A/N:**Auhm. Hehehe. Yea it's been awhile. (Rubs back of head sheepishly) Sorry! I've just had a lot of junk going down, kay? I was grounded about a million times (for extremely dumb reasons I might add) and of course, the economy isn't doing so hot in the USA right now. Take pity on me! lol Well, here ya go.

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Naruto

* * *

RECAP

Sasuke fled the room. His heart was breaking, she still loved The Raven. It was the other part of him she cared about the most. How could he go on with her heart always held by his other self? It was maddening!

Well, he could...No. If he did that she would never forgive him.

But what about if The Raven...?

Yes that would do it.

* * *

Sasuke glared at the Hokage. She had called him in to her office and was acting very angry with him, yet she wouldn't tell him why. Tsunade glared at him and poured some sake in to her cup. She gulped that down and poured herself another drink. In front of her sat the sullen Uchiha, and a rather disturbing report.

"So..." she began, fingering the scroll slightly. "Anything you wish to tell me?" Sasuke said nothing, he just stayed still. She gritted her teeth. "Nothing? Not even something about a little bird?" she hissed. To her surprise, Sasuke looked genuinely confused for a moment before stating he had no clue what she was talking about. In less polite terms.

The Hokage was worried. The Raven had been spotted recently, close to Konoha, and yet Sasuke was not the one wearing the feathers.

The Raven had returned.

But this time he was far more sinister.

Too many reports flooded in over the next few days. Tales of The Raven's casual cruelty. No one knew why he had returned. Before he had simply been involved with the war, and now...

No one was sure of his purpose.

* * *

Hinata slowly returned to the awakening world again, and right away she wished that she hadn't.

Her head felt all fuzzy and she was completely disoriented, and her whole being ached. It felt like when her foot fell asleep except that it covered her skin like a blanket.

She was vaguely aware that she was not alone too. A presence on the edge of her awareness. She wanted to see what was going on. It was quiet, yet tension seemed to sizzle in the air. She groaned.

"Hinata?" a soft voice asked. Hanabi?

"Hinata-chan! Wake up!"

She flinched, startled and opened her eyes just in time to see a thrashing and rather bruised-looking Naruto being dragged around the corner of the hospital doorway with a distinctly feminine hand clamped over his mouth and being followed by several people. Her vision was blurry though, and she could not make out who they were. The sounds of a beating and Naruto's cursing drifted to her ears and she smiled. A muttered 'baka' brought her attention to the last person in the room.

He stood with his back to her, a jacket covering his shoulders. He was watching where everybody had disappeared to. Sasuke?

She didn't seem to be able to say anything. An urgent thought tried to squirm to the forefront of her mind. What was it? There was something immensely important that she had to do. Somebody to protect and help…

The Raven!

Her eyes widened and she scanned the room. No one was there except for herself and Sasuke. But…She shook her head. What had happened?

"Hinata?"

Sasuke's black eyes landed on her. She found herself unable to speak. The amount of worry and _sadness_in their black depths froze her. "Hinata?" he asked again stepping forward to kneel by her side. "What's wrong? Are you alright?" Mentally Sasuke cursed himself. What a stupid thing to say!

Hinata belatedly realized that she was crying. She watched the clear liquid drip down on to her hospital gown. A strong pair of arms wrapped her in a hug, pulling her close to a warm chest. She burst in to all out sobs as Sasuke lent her his strength, clinging to him with her frail hands as if she would never let go. His hand stroked her hair softly and he murmured soft assurances in her ears, she said nothing, but was glad for this comfort.

Just as her tears quietened, her family and friends came through the door.

"Hinata!"

Hanabi rushed to her side, and wrapped Hinata in a hug while trying to ignore Sasuke. Soon everyone had a set of arms around her. Hanabie, Neji, Sasuke , Sakura, and her two teammates. Even the limping Naruto. Hinata felt a little overwhelmed by it all, but at the same time...she felt totally and utterly loved. A rare sensation for her.

Hinata started to cry. It was all so much! To come from hell to this...this wonderful family... Sakura too had tears in her eyes.

"Welcome Back Hinata. Everything's going to be alright."

And it would be.

* * *

_Time Skip -3 Months Later_

Hinata smiled softly and watched the sunset above the trees. Sasuke sat by her side quietly, softly stroking her hand with his fingers. It was probably the first time that they had been left alone together since she had woken up in the hospital.

Hinata sighed and looked down at the ground. They were perched on a tree branch in one of the village's parks. She could hardly see the ground now, covered as it was in shadows. She felt Sasuke's gaze on her and looked up to smile at him.

He had been a great comfort to her. She had long ago accepted that he loved her, at least in her subconsciousness. Now she knew, even if sasuke had never actually told her so. He was always there, lending her comfort and strength when she needed it, cheering her up, and even training with her now and again.

Hinata was still fragile though. Losing her children had had a huge effect on her mind. She had been depressed the better part of three weeks before she finally accepted her fate. Eri had been one of the few people to be able to cheer her then. Eri had become a large part of her life, as she and Neji were now going steady. It didn't really surprise her that her cousin was attracted to her friend. And it pleased her to think that Eri might actually find the happiness she deserved.

But what about her own happiness? Hinata gripped Sasuke's hand a little tighter. Why couldn't bring herself to love him? She cared for him a lot, yes. But love? No, not yet...If she was to be honest, it was because she was still in love with her mystery lover. The Raven. But that wasn't fair to anyone though, and that hurt her. She was hurting those she cared about because she couldn't let go of the past and move on.

If she just knew what had happened ti him..She sighed and leaned against Sasuke's shoulder. He pulled her closer and rested his chin on her head. They were often found to be silent in each others company. Sasuke seemed to accept that Hinata needed silence, not that he had ever been one for much talking either. Hinata buried her thoughts of The Raven and closed her eyes, cuddling closer to Sasuke.

She needed this. This warmth and love. The acceptance and loyalty.

Sasuke lifted a hand and began to stroke her hair. "Hinata?" Her silver eyes opened and caught his ebony ones.

"Hmm?" she asked, softly, closing her eyes again and leaning back against him.

"It's getting late." he whispered against her neck, his breath sending shivers across her skin.

"Yes. I suppose it is." she replied with another smile. She turned her mouth slightly to reach his lips. She felt his smirk as he readily gave in to her and kissed her.

She sighed contently as they broke off. Sasuke lifted her to her feet and picked her up before lightly jumping to the ground and placing her on the grass. He released all of her but her hand as they walked back to her apartment together.

* * *

Hinata hummed softly to herself as she brushed her hair while lounging on her bed. She had just changed in to a nightgown and was sleepily wondering if she should go to bed yet.

A yawn interrupted her thoughts. And she ruefully decided it was bed time.

She turned off the light and snuggled beneath her blankets, rolling over and hugging her pillow to her chest, she drifted slowly in to sleep.

A noise woke her up. Hinata was confused at first, then frightened. She sat up quickly and turned on the light. No one was there.

She double checked with Byakugan, but there was no sign at all of anyone having been in her apartment while she was sleeping. She felt a little too creeped out to sleep properly however and decided that even if it was four in the morning, she was going to go out and train. Maybe work her self in to an exhaustion so she could get back to sleep for a few hours. So Hinata got dressed, grabbed her gear, and headed out.

When she arrived at her favorite spot she was surprised to see Sasuke already up and training there. She called out her greeting and made her way over to him, fully intending to spar with him, until something on his face stopped her cold in her tracks.

Fear, naked fear, and cold hatred.

Puzzled, Hinata turned to look behind her, for surely that look was not meant for her. And it wasn't.

"Raven?" she whispered, eyes wide. Her bag fell from numb fingers and hit the ground.

The dark cloaked figure was undoubtedly him, and yet there was something...different about him. She heard Sasuke's low warning, his voice controlled but tight with unconcealed anger, but she did not heed his words. She stumbled towards her lover, her eyes only for him. He watched coolly, without moving.

Sasuke could only choke back his fear. He tried calling out again and yet his words died on his lips. He tried to move, to attack, defend, anything, but he could not. What kind of jutsu was he under?! His heart beat painfully in his chest as Hinata drew closer to the cloaked and masked figure. She stumbled the last few steps and fell in to The Raven's arms.

"Nooo!" Sasuke yanked free of whatever was binding him and moved to attack, but he faltered. Hinata! She was too close to him! The cold moonlight pouring from the sky lit up Hinata's face, turned with blind trust to the man holding her. She didn't hear him.

Cold laughter mocked Sasuke as he once again felt the jutsu take over his body. "N-no." he managed to choke out. "No."

Hinata felt dazed, almost drunk. The Raven had come for her! But...She turned back to look at Sasuke, but The Raven grasped her chin and pulled her face around to look at him. It occurred to her that she could simply rip off the mask to see who he was, or use her blood limit, but it didn't really seem to matter.

Suddenly she felt very tired. So...tired. She gripped tighter on to The Raven's supporting arms. What was going on? "Sleep." a raspy voice commanded, and how could she disobey? She was so tired...

Sasuke watched in horror as Hinata fell unconscious and was picked up by 'The Raven'. Why couldn't he MOVE?

The cloaked figure turned to leave, but paused first, and turned to face him again. Slowly, with Hinata in his arms, he made his way to the frozen Sasuke.

A dark head lent down to his ear and whispered, "Thanks for the precious gift. Idiot." Then he flicked Sasuke in the forehead and disappeared. Just vanished.

Cold dread coursed through Sasuke's veins. Sasuke was still unable to move, otherwise he would have crumpled to the ground in despair.

He had returned. Itachi had come back.

And he had Hinata.

* * *

**A/N: **OMG! Why does Itachi want Hinata?!I really am evil sometimes. I don't particuraly like this chapter, but maybe you guys do. Well, whatever, leave me a review anyways please.

**And A BIG thank you to all who reviewed: **reckoning in death, SHeWithNoName, blackraven615, IheartBankotsu, AleSwann20, rallybabe89, milady.otaku, DarkDecember93, Vindel, Hitensiababe, STEVEO 352, harley944, Lien Braska, and BlueMoon-Hime.


	20. Truth

**A/N:** Hehehe. So, you guys really didn't see Itachi coming, huh? lol A plus for me! And yes, **Sasuke is the REAL Raven, Itachi is just a big poser.** I thought I made that pretty clear, but anywho, please review!

Sorry for the wait!

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Naruto.

* * *

RECAP

Sasuke watched in horror as Hinata fell unconscious and was picked up by 'The Raven'. Why couldn't he MOVE?

The cloaked figure turned to leave, but paused first, and turned to face him again. Slowly, with Hinata in his arms, he made his way to the frozen Sasuke.

A dark head lent down to his ear and whispered, "Thanks for the precious gift, idiot." Then he flicked Sasuke in the forehead and disappeared; just vanished.

Cold dread coursed through Sasuke's veins. Sasuke was still unable to move; otherwise he would have crumpled to the ground in despair.

_He_ had returned.

Itachi had come back.

_And_ he had Hinata.

* * *

When Hinata finally came to she became aware that she was lying on the ground. She wondered if The Raven had kidnapped her again. If so, then why?

She opened her eyes and sat up. Right across from her, sitting comfortably on a dead log, was a figure she hadn't seen for a very long time. She had been quite young the last time he had visited her clan's compound. But she still remembered him.

Uchiha Itachi.

Hinata's first thoughts were chaotic. What had happened to _her_ Raven? She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but found that she was unable to. She had been kidnapped again?! She really had to train seriously when she got back home.

"Hello little Hinata. Long time no see, hm?"

She just gaped at him stupidly.

Itachi sighed. It was rare that he would show any emotion but he didn't care anymore. Why should he care when life wasn't worth living anymore?

It wouldn't be long now. And then it would be all over, at last.

The Hyuuga heir's silence was amusing, he thought as he stared at her with blurry eyes. He wondered when she would realize she wasn't helpless? Or at least not as helpless as if he _had_ incapacitated her.

"What, where's the questions? Why? How? Who? What?" He said all this with a smirk but Hinata could see the weariness and understanding and _sympathy_ in his eyes.

But...He was supposed to be emotionless. A heartless cold killer whose life was literally bathed in blood. The man before her had killed many people. Some she had even known. He had slaughtered his clan, hurt his brother, and betrayed his village. Why? The answer before had been simple, he was a heartless psychopath, but now...She looked straight in to his eyes. His dark and readable eyes.

"I umm. All of them...?" Hinata's voice came out as a whisper, when she remembered that he had sort of asked her a question. She sounded terrified, not that he could blame her. He had given himself quite a reputation. She was the first to see this side of him in a very long time.

Itachi bowed his head, "Why don't you make yourself comfortable? I'm sure my dear brother will be here before long, but maybe you'd like to hear my story, hmm?" he asked, tilting his head at her.

Hinata nodded and realized that he was being nice. Nice? Itachi nice? The name and the word did not belong in the same sentence, but the man before her didn't match the old description. It was confusing, but in a way she wanted to forget his past. She could see the hurt and bleeding soul in front of her. It was in her nature to want to heal that hurt. She had a feeling that his offer to tell his story was more for him than for her.

She got up slowly, wincing at the stiffness in her limbs and sat down next to him. A few feet away.

He sighed again and glanced out of the corner of his eye at her.

"Where should I begin?" he asked rhetorically, "Should I start with the whys? I suppose I must. Why did I kill my clan?" he asked as he stared at the sky, his hands clasped on his knees, leaning forward thoughtfully.

Hinata remained silent.

"I killed them because they were weak. Our blood had been diluted over time with the inter-clan marrying. The Uchihas were not what they once were. All of us were to marry our cousins because of our precious sharingan eyes."

"But instead of strengthing our blood, we weakened it. If you breed too closely, all the hidden defects will come out. I suppose I'm one." he chuckled dryly, "But the weakness was only a part of it. The competiton was another. The push to be great. I never had a childhood, I wasn't allowed one. I trained to be a ninja. That was all my life was really, being a ninja. I was forced to put aside friends, and even family to pursue, not my dream, but my clan's dream."

"And I was that dream. The genius. The greates and youngest shinobi. The day I made ANBU captain was the day I thought my father would finally be proud of me. I was wrong." His fists were clenched now, it was painful to talk about his past, but when? If not now? He saw the Hyuuga girl start to reach her hand out, to comfort him probably, but she pulled it back again. He grimaced wryly. After all, Uchiha Itachi wasn't a man to be comforted.

"So," he continued after a few moments, " I killed them. All but one. Sasuke." he sighed and hinata was shocked when a soft smile passed over his lips. It was an affectionate smile. A loving, doting, and happy smile. "Sasuke, my little brother. The bright happy boy whose turn it was to become a shinobi. I saw his struggles, always living in my shadow. My father never paid attention to him, never saw his potential, which was even greater than mine. But he needed the room to grow, without dissapproving elders breathing down his neck. I killed them for Sasuke. I couldn't bear the thought that he would become an emotionless ice prince."

His smile faltered and died, "I failed in doing that. My betrayal nearly killed my little brother's heart. But now he has finally regained it." He looked pointedly at Hinata who blushed.

He smiled at her, "Do you know who The Raven is?"

Hinata shook her head, she was still unable to speak.

Itachi smiled softly again and turned to look at the sky, "I didn't think so. Not many know his real identity. The Hokage, the Akatsuki, and myself are among the few that do."

Hinata's eyes widened. He knew who he was! Itachi knew!

"Wh-who is he?" She asked, sliding a bit closer to him,"Please I-I need to know."

Itachi's gazed darkened as he looked down to regard her with his black eyes, "Do you? Do you really? Tell me, why do you love The Raven?"

Hinata blushed and looked away. She didn't want to talk about it.

Itachi growled and hissed at her, startling Hinata in to jumping to her feet.

"You don't love him! You couldn't love him! You never even knew who he was. He used you! You were taken and used and cast aside! Left pregnant and in disgrace! You don't know him, you never did! And you don't love him!"

Itachi shouted and got to his own feet, advancing on her with every word. Hinata's mouth opened to deny his words. To tell him how she really felt, that she did love The Raven, but her mouth gaped stupidly as she backed up until her back hit a tree. Itachi was right in front of her, so close she could feel his breath on her cheeks.

A hand was planted on either side of her head, as she cringed in to the bark behind her. His dark eyes fastened mercilessly on her terror stricken ones.

"Answer. Me." he demanded in a low, tightly controlled voice. His gaze bored in to her.

Hinata was at a total loss for words. Never could she have imagined that Itachi would have done something like this. Why? What did The Raven had to do with anything? Or her love for him?

A strong hand gripped her chin, "Anwser me, Hinata. Do you actually love The Raven? Or did you love the idea of him? Maybe you lost your virginity to him and thought that because he slept with you you must love him? Tell me."

Hinata's face darkened at his words and she tried in vain to escape his eyes. He was right. And it hurt. She didn't love The Raven. Everything he said summed up the confusion and hurt she had and gave her the answer she had been so desperately trying to avoid.

She didn't love The Raven.

But she did love Sasuke Uchiha.

For all the times he'd been so patient with her. His caring and understanding. He'd taken care of her and waited for her even when it was obvious that she longed for The Raven. Sasuke was the one she'd unknowingly given her heart too. And Itachi was right, just because she had had sex with the man, didn't mean she had to love him. It was an unesscesary bond she had made with him, it tied her down and did no good for her. She had tied herself to a man who didn't care.

But Sasuke cared, and she had tied herself to him too.

With this realization came relief, and acceptance. She was no longer tying herself to the past, no longer dying inside. It was all clear to her now. It felt like some lame cliche' but she understood her life now. And she had the man in front of her to thank for it.

Itachi had watched her face closely while she struggled for words. And he finally saw the truth in her eyes. He let go of her chin with a smirk. She had passed his test. He left the dumbstruck Hinata still leaning against the tree and left her, chuckling as he settled back on the log.

Hinata rubbed her chin a bit and looked at him. Was he really crazy? She couldn't tell. And she didn't want to know.

She cautiously went to him, blushing as he gazed upon her with his dark eyes. There was something a little off about them though...She had noticed that when he was so close.

She knelt in front of him and looked him straight in the eyes, "Thank you." she said sincerely, with all her heart. She tried to pour as much gratitude as she could in those two words. He simply grunted and nodded.

Smiling to herself she got up and sat next to him. Itachi looked at her as if she _was_ the crazy one. Why would she want to sit so close to him? He found out when a pair of soft lips grazed his cheek and a small pair of arms wrapped around his middle.

He awkwardly returned the hug. After so long without any positive human interaction, it felt good to have someone approach him with something other than fear in their demeanor. Yes, his little brother had chosen well. She would ensure the future of the clan and strengthen it beyond measure.

It was surprising when he felt tears prick his eyes. It had been so long since he had cried, years in fact. He had almost forgotten what it felt like. Like a dam breaking, Itachi Uchiha cried; long silent sobs and convulsions which rocked his body. He clung to the warm creature beside him for comfort, which she gave freely. She stroked his hair and murmured soothing nonsense in his ears until at last he felt refreshed.

Itachi finally pulled away from Hinata and thanked her. She was such a sweet woman. It was too bad that his brother had first claim on her. Well, not entirely, she had been promised to him when they were both children, but he knew for a fact that those documents were null and void now. And he didn't deserve her anyway, but Sasuke did.

She patted his arm and waited for him to regain some emotional stability before speaking, "Tears shouldn't be held in. Tears that have been held for a long time can turn sour and harm the person they belong to. I don't believe you have turned bad though." she shook her head.

"No, you're not bad. But neither are you wholly good. But then, nobody is all good. We all have some shadows that haunt us. You know he'll come for me?" she asked, changing the subject.

Itachi nodded and stared off in to the distance.

"He- He'll try to kill you."

"I know."

Hinata heard his voice, full of weariness and sadness, and realized what he meant to do.

"I'm going to let him kill me."

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I hope you liked that. I always liked the idea of a softer Itachi. But whoops! Left another cliffy there. sorry. I also apologize for the horribly long amount of time this took to update. I had a bad case of writer's block. At least on this. I did put up a few oneshots. Have a looksee if you want.

DDEC

And a BIG thanks to all who reviewed! : SHeWithNoName, mskm101, Estheriana, Reckoning in Death, winterkaguya, Hitensiababe, Vindel, Kawaii Kabu, IHeartHidan, , Lien Braska, LovelessDarkness, DarkDecember93, rallybabe89, harley944, whitewave101, shareece, and Jay_chan.


	21. Author's Message

Hey guys,

It's been awhile since I've posted anything, and an even longer time since I've posted anything good.

I have changed a lot since I started this series...and so has my writing and my knowledge of Naruto. My interest and passion for this piece has fled out the window, so to speak.

Let's face it...this series isn't the best written, or the best sasuhina fics out there. So with this in mind, I'm abandoning the attempt to finish this fic.

**BUT I am still going to write the story.**

How does that make any sense? Well, I promised never to leave you guys hanging, so I'm going to combine all my ideas from my originally planned trilogy, rewrite, revamp, and repost it as a totally new fic.

Yes, it'll still be sasuhina.

Yes, the plot will still be mostly the same.

No, I'm not gonna repost the same dialogue and lameness.

It'll be better, and for those who are still interested and don't hate my guts it should be posted sometime next week as _Bound To You_

Thank you all for coming with me on this writing venture and reviewing and supporting me.

See you around (I hope...)

DDEC


	22. Sharingan Vs Sharingan Illusions

**A/N:** Um hi everyone (waves)

I know, I know I said I wasn't going to write anymore and then I said that I would totally rehaul this and rewrite it ^^; but half-done is undone and I really am only a little bit away from the ending so...here it is the next chapter of Broken Chains. I'm not so sure about rewriting it anymore. I'm so unsure of everything these days!

Thanks so much to everyone who supported me and reviewed throughout this adventure, and please forgive this human for being lazy and for giving up some times. :D Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Naruto.

* * *

Sasuke ran as fast as he could. Hokage and village be damned, the woman he loved was in trouble!

Itachi...So close and yet so far. He was so close to his brother, but he had no idea whether he could really kill him or not.

Chakra flared up ahead and Sasuke swerved to intercept it. He made one last jump and landed directly in a scene from his worst nightmares.

Hinata, his lady, his life and love, was being held tightly in the hands of the one man he'd most like to see dead. Her mouth was bound, and there were tears in her eyes. Crystal pools that called out to him and swallowed him whole.

Itachi smirked, his red eyes glowing ominously.

"It's about time...little brother."

Sasuke growled and clenched his fists. Fuck! He so wanted to charge and slam a chidori right down that smug bastards throat...

But he couldn't when Hinata was there.

"Itachi..." he growled. His fists clenched and he felt the rage pour through him._ No, now I've got to focus._

Itachi had Hinata in front of him, bound tightly with chakra suppressing ropes and gagged. His hands were firmly around her waist, ready to remove her from danger if need be. There was no knowing how foolish his little brother would be. If this was to be the end, then he wanted his brother's future assured. He wanted the Uchiha to be renewed, and have Sasuke step out of the blood that soaked the clan's history.

His eyes spun lazily, bright red with the mangekyou design showing clearly. Darkness shrouded his vision, but he could still make out the outline of Sasuke, blurred though it was. This was part of the price to be paid when you wanted the power of the mangekyou.

His eyes narrowed, though either of them had yet to move an inch, the fight had already begun.

Sasuke moved, his body going so quickly it was but a blur in the air. Hinata felt herself being shoved through the air before she suddenly tumbled to the ground. She cried out in pain and then tried to sit up. Sasuke and Itachi were trading barrage after barrage of shuriken and kunai, though neither had yet scored a hit.

Hinata glanced anxiously at them and tugged at the ropes binding her. Her bonds melted away.

She gazed stupidly at the ropes as they seemed to slowly disintegrate before her eyes. What was this? The world shifted before her. Instead of seeing the two brothers fighting, all she saw was an empty clearing. She got to her feet, straining for any sound of battle. She activated her Byakugan, but there was only darkness. _Genjutsu!_

She brought her hands together before her. She'd never been very good at it_, _but she neededto try and release the illusion blinding her. "Kai!" she called out, concentrating.

Nothing happened. Panic, and fear of what the two brothers were doing consumed her. It was wrong! They needed to be stopped....Sasuke didn't understand and Itachi...

She tried again, "Kai!" Still nothing, the tears were streaming down her face now as she desperately tried to dispel the illusion. "Kai! KAI! Kai, kai, kai, KAI!" her body shuddered and her chest felt constricted. No, she couldn't do it!

Her hands fell to her sides and she slumped to the ground. Weak! Weak, weak, weak! that's all she was, ever would be, weak. How could she stand at Sasuke's side when she couldn't even help herself, let alone him?

She angrily swiped at her tears and punched the ground. No, she couldn't give up!

But what could she do? Hinata looked up helplessly and forced herself to her feet. She could move, she could at least try. Never give up, that was her ninja way now, wasn't it? Dattebayou! An odd sadness filled her as she thought that. Naruto-kun would know what to do, he'd beat some sense in to those idiots trying to kill one another.

She jerked her head up and started to run. Trees flashed by and she strained to hear, see, smell, detect anything. She had to try.

_Sasuke...where are you?

* * *

_

Sasuke grunted as he felt the slice of his brother's shuriken hit his shoulder. His hands flashed through the signs and he called out, "Fire Style! Dragon Bomb Jutsu!" He took a deep breath and launched his attack, feeling a hint of satisfaction when it grazed Itach and set his cloak on fire.

He pushed off from the ground and came at his brother. A hail of shuriken thrown his way made him twist in midair and land slighly off of where he wanted to be, still, his kunai clenched tightly in his hand landed true and he stabbed his brother in the back of the neck, forcing him to fall to his knees and topple sideways, dead.

The world shifted.

Itachi aimed with deadly precision and slammed his brother in to the ground with a well aimed punch. Sasuke coughed, blood splattering his lips. Itachi smirked and quickly jumped back, waiting for Sasuke to emerge from the crater his impact had made.

The dust cleared, but there was no Sasuke.

Itachi whipped around in time to catch his brothers blow with his own kunai. They strained against one another, trying to force the other's knife closer. Their eyes met, sharingan versus sharingan.

The world shifted again.

Sasuke was still standing where he'd stopped when he found Itachi and Hinata. Itachi stood a few paces away, Hinata still in his arms, her eyes glazed an unseeing.

Sasuke panted slightly. Matching illusion for illusion was difficult and took a lot out of him. Itachi looked unperturbed.

"You have grown stronger." he said, shifting his body so he could lower the Hyuuga girl to the ground with one hand.

"Not strong enough though." he said mildly, stepping over Hinata's body and facing his brother once more.

Sasuke's eyes swirled fast and he growled as he held his hands off to the side.

The chirping of birds filled the air.

"You haven't seen anything yet." he growled, the lightning crackling blue in between his hands.

Itachi smirked, pulling a katana from beneath his cloak and holding it ready.

"And neither have you."

* * *

**A/N: **I am currently working on the next chapter, which WILL be ut soon, not over half a year later this time! It helps that I now have my very OWN laptop. XD

Thank you all soooo much for your kind words and support! You guys really helped push me on and get the strength to finish it up! I will ype it in as fast as I can, because you guys sooo deserve it.

**And a HUGE thanks to everybody who reviewed:** CCV, sweetie, AleSwan, MoonLightView, Estheriana, STEVEO 352, Hitensiababe, winterkaguya, minniemousemom, Lex07Gaa, rallybabe89, , Vindel, Lien Braska, LovelessDarkness, harley944, HawaitoNami, lionbaby120, ninja-luna, cakessuki, Lonely Soul 101, and x-blackmeadow-x


	23. Release

**A/N:**Wow. first off lemme say that I do not deserve my awesome reviewers, the returning ones and the new! for that major absence that is. Today is my 19th birthday, and as such I wanted to actually get this chapter done. It's really short, but I get the feeling some of you would rather me JUST finish it then make extremely long chapters. Oh and look! It didin't take that long for me to update either. Yay!

Enjoy the next chapter!!!

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Naruto.

* * *

_The chirping of birds filled the air._

_"You haven't seen anything yet." he growled, the lightning crackling blue in between his hands._

_Itachi smirked, pulling a katana from beneath his cloak and holding it ready._

_"And neither have you."_

* * *

The brothers moved, their bodies blurring through the air. This time, there were no illusions. The chirping of Sasuke's chidori attack grew in intensity as he forced more chakra in to it. He was no fool. Sasuke knew he still wasn't as much of a match against his brother as he would hope. Itachi had far more experience on him, and training. Even his time with Orochimaru and the forbidden things he'd learned there could not compare.

Metal screeched as they traded blows back and forth, trying to find an opening in the other's defense. Hinata lay limply on the ground and Sasuke retreated so their battle wouldn't hurt her.

Itachi's mind was calculating fast. He wasn't hailed as a genius for nothing. He knew exactly how to get at the goal he wanted. His eyes made it harder to see, his sight was almost gone. He might not have shown it, but when he had gone against Sasuke with his mangekyou, he had severely depleted his energies. His eyes stung and burned as he dodged Sasuke's attacks and only threw back half of what he was capable of. But even so, he could only keep it up for so long.

His soul begged for release. A release from all the lies, blood, and sacrifices. He'd lied...so many times, to so many people. Even the Hyuuga girl didn't have the truth, not even close. Every time Sasuke's blade neared him he felt the urge to move in its way. If it were not so obvious, he would.

This was his penance, and atonement.

His soul was bleeding, and only one thing could silence all the pain inside. The great void was so close...

But not yet, not yet.

Sasuke was frustrated. He should have been able to land a hit, even a minor on on his brother, but he had yet to do so. The damned bastard just moved so fast! Even with the sharingan, he might be able to see, but moving as fast as Itachi could was impossible. His brother was a true demon.

His eyes flickered to Hinata's tiny form, lying still on the grass. An enormous rush of anger flooded his veins, leaving him with white hot fury. It gave him a rush of strength, for a split second he was faster than Itachi, pushed by the need to protect his love.

He charged up another chidori, the sound of birds chirping intensified as he started the raikiri. He ducked another attack and went in for the kill. Itachi managed to make it out of the way in the last second so the hit wouldn't be fatal.

A spray of blood flew up in the air, tainting it with the smell of iron and burnt flesh. Some of it landed on Itachi's face, and the rest landed on Sasuke's. His attack had finally prevailed, a huge wound now gaped in Itachi's right arm.

The older Uchiha seemed almost bemused by the hole in his arm. _My dear little brother, you have grown stronger...._

Sasuke smirked his satisfaction and readied himself to attack with new vigor.

He could do this.

* * *

Hinata was desperate. She'd been running for what felt like ages now, and still there was no sign of Sasuke or Itachi.

Of course, that was to be expected, in a genjutsu. She stopped running, panting slightly as she leaned u pa against a ree. It sure seemed real. A tear escaped her notice and ran silently down her face as she tried to thin of a plan.

She couldn't release the jutsu. Unfortunately she'd never been able to, but what could she do? She'd never heard of anybody breaking Itachi's technique before.

She slid down, despair was close at hand but she refused to let her more emotional side panic. She cooled her mind and focused on the logical apsects of her situation, wishing Shikamaru was there, or Neji...

She began to slip in to a half-meditative state.

* * *

Sasuke smirked as he pressed his advantage. Itachi was slowing down. Minutely, perhaps, but for the other sharingan user, it was enough. He landed another blow and jumped back to avoid Itachi's.

Itachi was calculating his moves and timing very carefully, making it appear like he was slowing down and letting Sasuke get in a few hits. He had this already planned out, all paths had been searched carefully and the best one journeyed on.

But Itachi, genius though he was, hadn't expected more people to show up.

* * *

**A/N:**lol I adore cliffies ^^ Who would you guys like to see btw? I've got some ideas, but I encourage you to inspire me! Well till next time!

**And a HUGE thanks to everybody who reviewed:** blackmoon124, Hitensiababe, and imatwilightfan.


	24. Final

**A/N:** My my, I'm baaaaack! Time to update Broken Chains again, I hope you all had a nice holiday! and errr January and uh, February....and um the beginning of March... ^^;

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.**

* * *

_Itachi was calculating his moves and timing very carefully, making it appear like he was slowing down and letting Sasuke get in a few hits. He had this already planned out, all paths had been searched carefully and the best one journeyed on._

_But Itachi, genius though he was, hadn't expected more people to show up.

* * *

_

Hinata was just about at her wits end.

She had no idea what was happening in the real world, no real clue at all. She only knew that she had to stop it...if it wasn't too late already. She slipped deeper in to her meditative state and suddenly, she felt herself dissconnect.

It was the oddest sensation she'd ever felt, like she could feel her body...in two place and her soul in another. All the fear and worry and anxiety had stayed with her flesh, she was light, without a care...but she still had a job to do.

She felt like she was standing next to her body, and she could actually see it. She reached out with her energy, and chakra immediately surrounded her body and curled around her so that she glowed a bright blue.

Concentrating deeply, Hinata searched her body for what she now knew bound her to this place. It didn't take long to find it.

A thrumming band of dark chakra surrounded her brain and enclosed it. She slammed it as hard as she could, but it didn't break.

She hammered away at it with single-minded intensity, feeling the hold it had on her become more tenuous. The controller was paying less attention to her it seemed. She was grateful for the distraction and she used to hope it gave her to stab at the foreign chakra even harder.

She succeeded. The shadows suddenly shattered and she felt the chakra leave her body even as she herself melded back in to her flesh. Three selves merging in to one. It was the next oddest thing she had ever felt, but the feeling was almost akin to ecstasy. Like she had been unbalanced all this time and now she was in tune and balanced properly. Her senses thrummed as she returned to her body lying still on the grass, the battle raging more ferociously than ever around her.

She opened her eyes.

But it was too late.

* * *

Out in the trees the battle between the two brothers was being waged. Now though, Itachi had two more additions to deal with.

Shikamaru and Neji were quick on the uptake it seems.

How the two had gotten to him, and so quickly, Sasuke had no idea, he was grateful for their presence though. Even though he hated to admit it, he could really use the two other prodigies' strength.

Currently, Neji was trying to get to Hinata and Shikamaru was attempting to get around Itachi and trap him with his shadow. Itachi was very quick though, and they were expending more chakra with every passing moment. Neji was being forced to use his ultimate defense again and again while Shikamaru had resorted to hiding out of sight in what cover he could find.

Itachi felt irritated. This was NOT how his battle was supposed to go. The Nara and the Hyuuga were going to wreck all of it. They were very strong, and he knew he would eventually succumb to all three, but he wanted Sasuke to finish him off, not some brats from second rate Clans...

The grass around thm was flattened and in a lot of places burnt completely. The air was thick with smoke and chakra. The deadly dance continued. Sasuke continued to press harder and harder, his desperation and thirst for revenge was all consuming. It made his moves a little sloppier, but Neji covered for him when he could so he avoided much damage.

Shikamaru was now out for the count, haven been caught by Itachi's eyes. The other two barely spared a glance his way, they knew he'd be alright...if they could defeat Itachi that is.

Sasuke charged at Itachi, a kunai crackling with lightening in hand. His brother countered as best he could, but any contact with the blade inevitably shocked him. Itachi this time, was not faking weakness when he slowed down and breathed deeply. His respect for his two opponents growing exponentially. The Hyuuga was good, and already he'd managed to shut down a few of Itachi's tenketsu. His left arm was completely useless, leaving him open for more attacks.

Neji had taken over defense, realizing that for now, there was nothing he could do for Hinata. So instead he concentrated on keeping Sasuke alive and trying to hit Itachi whenever he could.

Then to all of their surprises, they heard Hinata, "Sasuke NO! Stop!" Neji's eyes widened and he paused for just a split second to whirl toward her voice. Before he blacked out, he saw his cousin struggling to get to her feet. Then he hit the ground, relieved at least his Hinata-sama was alright.

Hinzta gasped when she saw Itachi disable Neji and realized that her cousin was out. A few yards away she could also see Shikamaru lying in a small crater, out cold. Her eyes whipped to Sasuke and Itachi, she was determined to stop them. But how?

She called out, pleading with them to stop, but Sasuke didn't hear her over the sound of chirping birds. Only Itachi did. With a slight smile he allowed himself to be distracted, only for a moment, but it was enough.

Sasuke was shocked. Nobody moved. His arm had gone straight through Itachi's chest, hitting his heard. The chidori faded, but the smell of burnt flesh and the metallic tang of metal lingered in the air. The feeling of blood, so sticky, so heavy, running down his skin. Sasuke pulled back with a noise of disgust. Itachi crumpled to the ground.

* * *

**A/N:** I wanted to say thanks for all the birthday wishes, they really made my day! Also thanks for all of your continuing support!

**Thanks for reviewing guys! :** _imatwilightfan, blackmoon124, Hitensiababe, Vindel, Just a fan, and Escapingfromhell._

**A special message for Escapingfromhell:** _Hi! I really just wanted to reply to your review, but you didn't leave an email or anything! I really feel flattered that you read the series so quickly, and in the cold too! My family also turns down the heat in the winter, so I know how much it sucks...(and I stay up late to read fanfiction in the cold too XD) So thanks again and I REALLY hope you get this -hugs-_


	25. The Close

**A/N:** Grrr. I had written this out and hit save and then my computer did a number and deleted all my progress so it was down to 200 words...DAMN. Well, I rewrote it, so here ya go. I actually split the chapter in two...which seems weird but forgive me please.

DFC - Liz

**_DISCLAIMER_**: I do NOT own Naruto.

* * *

_Sasuke was shocked. Nobody moved. His arm had gone straight through Itachi's chest, hitting his heart. The chidori faded, but the smell of burnt flesh and the metallic tang of metal lingered in the air. The feeling of blood, so sticky, so heavy, running down his skin. Sasuke pulled back with a noise of disgust. Itachi crumpled to the ground.  
_

_

* * *

_It was as if the world had frozen.

There was no moment between life and death in which to say goodbye. No time for anything.

Sasuke had killed...many times. The Raven had killed far more...it wasn't like he didn't know what death looked like, what it _was_, it was just that with Itachi...he thought it would be different.

Well, what the fuck had he expected? Sasuke angrily clenched his fists, barely aware of Hinata's soft sobs as she came to stand next to him. He...Itachi...

* * *

_"Brother! Big brother, look! Look what I just learned!" A young Sasuke put his hands together, his small brow furrowed in concentration. A teen aged Itachi looked on._

_A stream of fire poured from is mouth, burning the grass and withering it as Sasuke poured all his strength in to the Katon jutsu. It didn't last for long, he was still a child after all. When he turned to Itachi, his eyes were shining, looking for praise. He was breathing a bit more deeply and his muscles were spasming slightly, though he ignored it all in favor of his Aniki's attention. Itachi's lips twitched in to a not-quite smile and he nodded, lowering his eyes so his little brother would not see the sadness there. The knowledge that this child would grow up just like he had..._

_"Itaaachiii, train with me? Please big brother, please?" Itachi halted on his way to the training grounds and looked back. Sasuke was standing in the lane, his hands clenched around a pouch of kunai and shuriken, looking at him with such trust and adoration that Itachi felt angry._

_'No, I don't deserve it...Don't look at me like that...Sasuke...'_

_"But Itachi, you ALWAYS say no!" Itachi wish he had the luxury to explain...the time to explain. Instead he smirked and poked Sasuke in the forehead, making the child flush angrily and glare at him in the way children have that instead of looking menacing, just makes you want to laugh._

_"Maybe next time...Sasuke-kun."_

* * *

A tear escaped his control and Sasuke sank to his knees by his brother, reaching out shakily to turn him over.

The elder Uchiha's eyes were closed peacefully, but the lines in his face somehow seemed so wrong. He reached out with gentle fingers to scrape back a bit of his brother's hair. He almost seemed younger that way, like the man he was before the massacre.

He had the overwhelming urge to hit something, preferably Itachi...but he couldn't. He wanted those eyes to open so he could punch him in the face. He wanted...he wanted. He wanted to...to..

His brother was dead.

All those things he wanted to do...the things you could only do with your brother...He began to shake.

* * *

Hours later when the paperwork was done and Shikamaru and Neji lay recovering in the hospital, Hinata and Sasuke finally left the hospital. Eri and Sakura had kicked them both out, opting to stay by Neji's side while Ino kept a vigil over Shikamaru.

They would both be fine, according to Sakura.

It was so late and yet there was so much unresolved.

* * *

The night was cool and slightly damp as they walked down the dark streets. They didn't talk, there was little they wanted to communicate in that moment.

Sasuke kept glancing at Hinata, knowing that she was hesitant about something, but not wanting to push it. Really he was just being selfish by wanting to be in her company. She soothed him and right now he was so torn. It had been a few hours and he wasn't in a stable place of mind yet. Neither was she really for that matter.

Momentous events often changed the way one thought for the rest of their lives. Expectations almost never meet up with actual events. The outcome had be certain, at least before Itachi's death, but now after the fact, they felt loss. Like there was so much more to explore before the man's death. Things that were irretrievably lost at the close.

* * *

Itachi's funeral was a largely quiet affair. It wasn't advertised that the missing-nin of Konoha was dead, in fact it was an S-class secret that nobody was supposed to repeat. The world would probably figure it out soon enough though.

Hinata held on to the secret Itachi had imparted her with. Deciding to honor the dead man's sacrifices.

Sasuke had been hit hard emotionally with his brother's death and he and Hinata began to lean on each other more than ever before. She was now his emotional crutch, rather than the other way around.

Eventually Sasuke told Hinata all about The Raven.

At first the Hyuuga girl was furious in a quietly cold manner that stunned all who knew her. She didn't talk to him for over a week. Ignoring his pleas for her to give him another chance and forgive him.

Then one night she showed up at his door...

A/N: And that folks is for the next chapter!


	26. The End

**A/N:** I must admit this is a long time coming. Kinda feels weird to be ending it lol Well, thank you to EVERYONE for your amazing support. I hope you enjoy the ending, for this is the last of the Chain series I will write. I'm currently backing off from writing fanfiction so much. Oh, you'll still see oneshots from me, but multi-chaptered stories take a lot of time...which I no longer have as a college student lol I don't want to make the same mistake of writing as I go, if I ever post another story, it won't be until I've written the whole thing from start to finish. I hate disappointing. I considered leaving this incomplete...but since I was just a chapter away I figured it wouldn't be fair to you...anyone who is hanging on that is ^^;

Enjoy what I've written, and stay tuned for more SasuHina in the future! :D

**_Thanks to everyone who supported me in this series, I love you all!_**

DFC - Liz

**DISCLAIMER**: I do NOT own Naruto.

* * *

Hinata raised a trembling hand to Sasuke's door, and knocked. It had taken her a lot to get to this point. She'd finally reached a conclusion.

She literally shook with the force of her emotions. Part desire, part fear...love was thrown in there as well. Every bit of it for the raven haired man who'd irrevocably captured her, mind, body, and soul.

Literally, she thought with a sad smile.

She didn't have much time to prepare herself before he opened the door. His eyes widened slightly in shock as she boldly strode past him and entered his house.

"Hinata, I-"

"Don't talk, Sasuke," Hinata interrupted him, hugging herself and turning to face him as he closed the door, "You owe me that much." It was said coldly as she could manage, and Sasuke winced, but stayed silent. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. His body language was tense, indecisive.

"I...I've thought about this a lot. What you did to me was almost unforgivable." He took a step toward her and began to open his mouth, but Hinata closed the distance between them and laid her hand across his lips. He stilled.

"Listen to me, please, I'm not through." He silver eyes sparkled with emotion, but Sasuke wasn't sure what he was seeing. He yearned to reach to her and hold her to him, but even he knew that that would be an idiotic action worthy of Naruto proportions.

"Almost unforgivable, but I know you..._him._ I think...I may have always suspected..." He stilled, hardly daring to breathe as she turned her crystal eyes on him and smiled tremulously.

"I don't even need an answer to whether you love me or not. I know you do." She continued, and finally lowered her hand encircled her arms about his waist. Laying her head on his chest, she whispered, "I love you Sasuke. I _need_ you. But before...before we can move forward, you need to prove to me that you won't _ever_ betray me like that again." She whispered agains his chest, allowing him to embrace her and stroke her hair.

"_Anything_, My Lady. Just name it. I'll do anything for you." He said, his voice cracking. He hadn't lost her! He moved to tilt her head back and kiss her, but found that she turned her face away.

"Time Sasuke, I need time."

He felt her words like a blow to his abdomen, but took a shaky breath and dropped a kiss on her forehead instead.

"Then you have it." he whispered.

Hinata smiled softly and leaned up to brush a soft kiss against his cheek.

"_Thank_ _you._" she said and then withdrew from his arms and went out the door, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the room.

* * *

_One Year Later..._

"Hinata..." Neji started, anger in his eyes. He had only gotten wind of what she intended to do less than a half hour ago. How he'd found out, Hinata would never know. She didn't appreciate his meddling.

"I don't want to hear it, Neji." Hinata snapped back, "I love him! He loves me, and he's _proved _it!" She halted as her cousin reached her and grasped her hand gently.

His eyes, so like hers, reproached her gently, "I just don't want to see you hurt again." She sighed and turned to hug him. She knew he only had her best interests at heart, but really, enough was enough.

"Then trust me." She said, and leaned back to smile at him, "I love him, I need him. I've already been estranged from the rest of the clan, please don't let this come between us." she pleaded. He sighed heavily, but squeezed her hands, "If it is what you want, I cannot stand in your way, but Hinata-sama...if he hurts you... " his eyes narrowed as he trailed off suggestively.

Hinata giggled, and gave him a reassuring squeeze back.

"It won't!"

Then she whirled and fled down the street to finally, finally fix the last piece of her that was missing.

* * *

Sasuke waited impatiently beneath the trees of training ground 13. He had received her note, and could barely keep himself from hoping...

He felt her chakra long before she came in to sight, and when she did, his breath caught in his throat.

Hinata was radient, and smiling so brightly, he could have sworn she was the reincarnation of the sun.

With a joyful cry, she tackled him, toppling them to the ground. He caught her in reflex and felt his heart lift.

They made love then, for the first time in a long time. And it was tender, yet passionate and needy, and it filled them both with the absolute certainty that they were _meant_ for each other.

Afterwards, sweaty and lying entangled in the soft grass, Sasuke asked the question he'd longed to for over two years.

Hinata, tears in her eyes surprised him with her enthusiastic agreement.

* * *

_Years Later..._

Many stories had been told of The Raven. How he lived, what he could do, how cold and ruthless he was. Speculation as to his identity was rampant, and many who remembered Uchiha Sasuke as a younger man agreed he fit the profile.

But the man and husband who was still obviously madly love with Hinata Hyuuga didn't fit that profile. Old gossips would turn and see the young couple on the street and argue over whether such a nice young man could have ever done such things. Surely not, most said. He had a wife, and children! He hadn't been a ninja for years. Besides, The Raven had been active after he had been married.

They watched as Hinata giggled and shot a knowing look at her husband as they passed their gossiping group and looked at the two skeptically. He had raised an eyebrow at his wife and then smirked as he opened the shop's door, "After you, _my lady._" Hinata laughed, as if because of some private joke, and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before she went through the door.

The gossips shook their head. Surely not. These too were far too obviously happily in love, and everyone knew that The Raven had no heart.

The sounds of the Uchiha couple's laughter faded in the street.


End file.
